


Open Coffin (Kol Mikaelson Series)

by Justfangstvdto



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-09-12 20:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 79,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16879092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justfangstvdto/pseuds/Justfangstvdto
Summary: [Book 1 Completed (as of May 28th - working on sequel]Good guys and bad guys. One side of the same coin or different entirely? Who or what determines if you are the hero or the villain? Can you be both, or is there only either or? Can someone who is believed to be evil, be the victim in the story or will that someone forever be doomed in their assigned role? And what role do you play? Hero, villain, or both?---------------------------------------------------------------Follow the Salvatore sister (you!) on a journey torn between family and the attraction towards a certain original vampire.  This is kind of an TVD rewrite (S3 upwards) with TO elements but kind of....not. There are certain key plot points you'll recognize but with twists, changes and additions.





	1. Chapter 01 "You'll find them in Chicago"

 

_Foreword:_

_Good guys and bad guys. One side of the same coin or different entirely? Who or what determines if you are the hero or the villain? Can you be both, or is there only either or? Can someone who is believed to be evil, be the victim in the story or will that someone forever be doomed in their assigned role? And what role do you play? Hero, villain, or both?_

_One thing's for sure, everyone can swap roles for any amount of time, no matter on what side of the spectrum the are believed to belong in. Given the right motivation, even family would choose their happiness over yours. And they have._

 

_\---------------------------------------------------_

Chicago. The city of deep-dish pizza, hotdogs, high crime rates, jazz and as it seems also the current whereabouts of a doomed duo; Stefan and Klaus, accompanied by a recently undaggered Rebekah. A ripper, an original hybrid and an original vampire teaming up. Can this get any weirder?

Ever since you heard of the recent gruesome murders you had the sneaking suspicion that your little brother, Stefan, fell off the wagon again and hopped upon the ripper train once more. When you called one of your many compelled spies- or informants as you prefer to call them - and they confirmed that it is indeed Stefan that teamed up with Klaus, you were forced to drop everything to come to his rescue. Sister duties and all, since your older brother, Damon is preoccupied amusing Stefan girlfriend, another Petrova doppelganger back in your hometown. It seems your dear brothers have not learned their lesson yet..

Naturally, you traveled to Chicago in an instant, trying to convince your brother to stop this deal he made with the one person that took someone away that was very dear to your heart, just because he had the power to.

Stefan only agreed to this deal because Damon was dumb enough to be bitten by a werewolf. Otherwise, he would never even go near Klaus, but only because he is not aware of is past with him. Or at least he wasn't until yesterday. If Stefan would know what kind of past you had with Klaus, he would probably lock you in a cellar. However, right now he is preoccupied with trying to convince Klaus and Rebekah that he actually enjoys being with them.

You peek into the fancy clothing store where Stefan and Klaus are seated, champagne glass in hand whilst Rebekah tries on different clothes. From what you can gather from afar, she just recently has been undaggered and is in need of some more, let's say, appropriate clothing.

You glare at Klaus from across the street, craving nothing more than to set his head aflame because you wish he would have undaggered another sibling, a friend from your past instead Rebekah.

Stefan leaves the store and holds once the door swings shut behind observes the people in front of him hurrying from or to work. One face startles him the most, though.  _Yours._

You tilt your head to the right, gesturing to a safer place to talk. You lead him down a rather filthy alley and he follows close behind.

"What are you doing here, Y/N?" Stefan asks and looks at you with cold eyes and emotionless features while his arms are crossed in front of him. It seems as if his ripper persona fully took over again "Damon and Elena were here yesterday, and now you? What the hell do you want from me?" he spats.

"Nice to see you too, little brother, " You say in response gesturing back to the clothing store "You two look all buddy-buddy in there. Klaus your new bestie?"

"I would leave if I were you, Y/N. If he finds you here and realizes you're my sister, you're probably dead."

"Happy to know that you still care about my well-being, little brother," You reply "But I doubt he would hurt me."

"How would you know?" he questions.

_You would love to know that, wouldn't you, Stef?_

"Call it a gut feeling" you answer avoiding his question. "Anyway, tell me if I'm wrong...Rebekah's necklace that Klaus is looking for...That's the necklace that you gave to Elena, right?"

"How do you know all this?"

"I have my eyes and ears everywhere, remember? I know things about a lot of people." You remind him "Now, tell me, how the hell are you gonna keep your secret from them?"

"They don't know where the necklace is. I just have to keep them from figuring it out. I have it all under control." Stefan assures.

"Jesus Christ." You sigh, your fingers reaching for the root of your nose " Please, tell me you have a better plan than that."

He does not answer which pretty much indicates that he is hiding something. He does have a plan. "You do. Come on, Stef. You're not the diabolical type. Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work."

"Well, if my diabolical sister can't seem to figure it out, then I must be doing something right." he counters, cocking an eyebrow.

_Diabolical sister, huh? Who's the diabolical one here, Stefan the Ripper?_

"Uh-huh. I forgot.You're bad now." You remember." Don't get too smug, though. Klaus is smarter than you. That bastard is smarter than everyone."

"Happy to know you still care about my well-being," he repeats "but I can handle this on my own. You wasted your time coming here, Y/N. " Without another word, he turns around and walks away. But you will not let yourself be waved off like that.

A sudden movement in the corner of your eye brings your attention to the street corner to your left. There is a flash of blue hurrying around the corner, curly hair falling over petite shoulders while the sound of heels clicking on the dry concrete echo through the alley. The wind picks up and carries the scent of sweet flowers, blood, and betrayal over to you. Your mind, guided by the signature scent, springs to the very last person you would like to come face to face; Katherine Pierce.

You decide to follow the blue flash, what you presume to be Katherine, leaving Stefan be for the moment. But only for a moment, because you are sure he will need your help

**Stefan | Chicago Warehouse**

Stefan re-joined Klaus and Rebekah at a bar named Gloria's, yet as the witch found a way to catch a glimpse of Elena's necklace whereabouts he quickly distracted them with an offer of a snack and led them to a warehouse nearby.

Klaus is currently resting on a couch in said warehouse, enjoying drinking from a girl while Stefan is doing likewise seated in an armchair. Rebekah looks at them while sitting atop a crate, a dead girl at her feet. "My girl's dead. I'm bored."

Klaus retracts his fangs from his "meal" and looks over to Stefan who continues draining the girl in his arms. "You weren't kidding about being hungry."

"Yeah." Stefan replies, his nerves almost blank because Klaus is one step closer to finding out that Elena is still alive "It's been a long day."

"Try being related to her" Klaus counters, thinking Stefan is talking about Rebekah.

"You're being mean." Rebekah glares at her brother from across the room "And why are you being mean, Stefan? You used to love me."

"It's been ninety years, Rebekah. Give him a minute." Klaus reminder her.

"Why are you taking his side?"

"Because, my dear sister, I feel pity for any man who doesn't give you what you want."

"Will you stop making me out to be a brat?" Rebekah exclaims slamming her hands down on the cold create surface "I am not a brat!"

"A thousand years of life experience says otherwise," he remarks smirking.

"Well, you're no picnic, either." Stefan speaks up "I mean, I've only spent one summer with you and I feel like I want to blow my head off."

Rebekah burst into laughter echoing through the wide open warehouse space

"Fantastic!" she grins.

Stefan retracts his fangs and drops the now dead girl on the ground and rises from his seat.

"I need to go."

"Where's he going?" Rebekah asks and looks at Klaus in question.

"To write a name on a wall." Klaus explains, earning yet another confused look from his sister "It's a long story."

**_Y/N | Gloria's_ **

Following Katherine turned out to be a dead end. Wherever she wanted to lead you, she must have changed her mind as soon as you reached the red, blinking neon sign of a bar you know all too well. Gloria's.

**_Chicago 1922_ **

The dusty cigarette smoke hits you as soon as you open the wooden door and the music fills every inch of the red-walled bar. 

"What can I do you for?" the dark-haired bartender asks once you made your way to the bar.

"Give me something top-shelf." you shrug and the bartender grabs a clean glass and he fills it."Oh, and I have a special request for your singer over there." You slide the paper with the signature raven print over the counter.

He furrows his eyebrows in doubt but flips the paper anyway. His eyes scan the paper in a quick manner and he then looks at Gloria and then back to you. He nods, rounds the bar and hops on stage whispers something in her ear, gesturing over to you. She cocks an eyebrow, excuses herself over the mic and makes his way to you.

"You want to talk. Let's talk." she says putting her hand out."Name's Gloria, but from the looks of that seal of yours, you already know that."

"I do" you reply, shaking her hand. "Y/N Salvatore."

"Salvatore, huh? Any relations to Stefan?"

"He's my little brother," you say, taking a sip of your drink.

"Oh? You just missed him then. He left with his friend, Kl-"

"Klaus. I know."

Gloria raises an eyebrow "You know an awful lot for an ordinary vampire."

"I guess I do. But I am not here to brag about my knowledge." you inform her, pointing to the crumpled up paper you gave to the bartender earlier "You know where I can get one of those?"

She slides the paper over and looks at it with squinted eyes.

"And what do you want with a diamond?" she traces her finger over the drawn lines on the wrinkly paper.

"Mine was stolen. Any ideas who might buy one of those?" you tell her, not mentioning the fact that the diamond was hidden away before you got your hands on it, so technically you stole the diamond as well.

"No." she shakes her head "But I know a few who might."

She grabs a paper and pen, and writes down a few names and addresses and slides it over the counter.

"What do you need it for?" she asks again and points to the paper "'Cause these runes here ain't just decoration."

You grab the paper and fold it together before Gloria deciphers them fully. She or anyone should not discover what you actually need it for. However, there would be a few people who would definitely want to see it used in the way you intend to use it in the future.

"Look, Gloria, I appreciate you helping me, but you're better off not knowing. Trust me"

"Honey," she huffs " I'm only helping you because I owe her a favor," she says referring to the raven sigil "You got what you came for, so you should leave."

"So much for mid-western hospitality." you sigh and finish your drink before you get up making your way to the door without paying a dime.

"Oh, right." you stop, remembering something you forgot to hand Gloria "Do me a favor and throw one of these in Klaus' bourbon, would you?" you ask handing her a small, shiny diamond.

She furrows her eyebrows and looks at you in question"What's that for?"

"It serves as a reminder, that's all you need to know, but trust me, he will know what it means." you wink at her before you make your way towards to door once again.

_Oh, Klaus will definitely know what it means.. And he won't be amused._

**_Chicago present time_ **

That particular night was the first and last time you visited Gloria's. Until now anyway.

You use your vampire-hearing to check if Stefan has company, but as your ears only fill with groans of pain, you hurry inside.

"Don't do this. Don't do this", Stefan groans, paralyzed on a table while Gloria's hands rest on his pecks, the skin sizzling on contact.

"She's the doppelganger. She's supposed to be dead, and that's why Klaus can't make hybrids, isn't it?" Gloria laughs.

It seems Gloria took matters into her own hands to find out what Stefan knows. However, you cannot have that, no can you?

"Well, this is creepy." You say, your arms crossed. You zip forwards and shove a stake you always keep with you through her neck and she falls on the floor.

You stand above her while the blood gushes out of her neck, slowly but surely covering the wooden floor "Consider that payback for the trap you led me into 90 years ago." you smirk as Gloria takes her last choked breath.

You shrug and walk over to Stefan, freeing him from his shackles.

"Maybe you do need my help, after all, little brother," You say, smirking at Stefan " Oh, by the way, I figured your diabolical plan out."

"Oh. Do tell."

"Well, you must know that Klaus is too paranoid to ever fully trust you. But Rebekah, she loves you like it was yesterday. She's the easier target. But you can't just pretend to care because Klaus will know better," You explain "so, you do the opposite. You bond with him; make her feel left out. That will only make her want you more. The only question is why, Stefan? I mean, I get it, you want to keep Klaus away from Mystic Falls, but...What else do you expect to get from it?

"You know what's funny? You keep talking to me like I actually trust you enough to tell you anything." Stefan scoffs.

"You used to"

"Yeah  _used_  to. Not anymore."

He is not wrong. There were things In your past he only learned about recently - if you count 70 years as recently- and he has been mistrusting ever since. You can't blame him, but it does come as a surprise that he is still as angry as the moment the truth uncovered itself.

"Oh, come on, Stefan, we're beyond that. I saved you from Hilda the high voodoo priestess, didn't I? Doesn't that count for anything?"

He breathes out and runs his hand over his mouth thinking.

Okay fine. I knew them, back in the twenties" he admits."They were running from someone. Someone who scared them."

"I know." you say and Stefan narrows his eyes in suspicion "Uhm, I heard stories about him, you know?"

"Don't you want to know why an Original vampire who can't be killed is afraid of a Vampire Hunter?"

You know very well why they are afraid of that particular hunter, but there is no way you can tell him how you know it. There is only one thing to do, distracting him with the one person he would like to eliminate. Klaus

"If you're planning on making a move against Klaus...I want in"

"That's good. It's good to want things, Y/N." he taunts.

"Stef..."

"Y/N. I'm in this alone. Just go back wherever you came from" he replies and gathers Gloria's lifeless body and throws over his shoulder "I don't need your help."

**_Damon | Boarding House_ **

A knock distracts Damon from his casual afternoon drink. He opens the door and Elena stands in front of him.

"I'll accept written apologies only." he says.

She smiles wickedly, and Damon realizes it is not Elena in front of him, it is Katherine.

"Are you two lovebirds fighting already?'" she asks, referring to the disagreement Elena and Damon had after they left Chicago.

"Katherine. Wonderful. What do you want?"

"I'm just a girl looking for a partner in crime. Feel like hitting the road? Getting the hell out of dodge?"

"Why not? Walls are starting to close in on me around here. Where are we going?"

"Away from here. That's all I'm going to give you for right now. But believe me, it's good." she says, wiggling Elena's necklace around. She stole it from Bonnie, pretending to be Katherine. "Oh, and your sister paid a visit to Stefan today."

"Another reason to leave before she shows up here." he groans "I'll drive"

**_Y/N | Chicago Warehouse_ **

Naturally, you followed Stefan to his next location, not convinced that he has things handled as well as he says he does.

You watch Stefan walking into the warehouse where Klaus and Rebekah are hanging out and you follow him inside, hiding in a corner with your back keeping your distance. He stops in front of the coffins and runs his hand over the cold wooden surface when suddenly the blonde Original walks in.

"You're back. Finally. Nik went to check on the witch..." She informs him but stops once she sees the look on his face as his eyes scan the coffins before him "Dreary, isn't it? The family cargo."

"Hmm. Why don't you undagger them?" Stefan asks.

"Because he would hunt me down and kill me. He's a vindictive little bastard, my brother." Rebekah reminds him.

That must be the understatement of the century, no, a  _decade._

"But you still care about him. Why?" Stefan looks over into her blue eyes.

"Well, I hated him for a long time. It was exhausting." She informs him as she hopped onto a coffin and Stefan takes a seat next to her.

"You know, when I met you two, you were both on the run." Stefan eyes her, a coy look on his face.

"Also exhausting." She looks at her manicured nails.

"Who were you running from?"

_Don't go there now, Stefan. Bad timing._

"What do you mean?" Rebekah looks over at him, her pretty blue orbs widening.

"Last night I saw you, there was a man looking for you. You both seemed afraid. I just.. I wouldn't think Klaus would be afraid of anybody." Stefan shrugs.

"No one in this world is truly fearless, Stefan. Not even Niklaus."

"Who was that man?" Stefan asked again.

"I can't. Please." Rebekah replies, fear covering her usual confident voice. She hops down."If Nik knew we were talking about this, he would-"

"No, no, no. I'm sorry." He hops down too "Just forget I asked. Ok?"

"He told me about the girl you loved. The one that died."

Another touchy subject. What is going on today?

"It's true." Stefan nodded.

"You know, I think he secretly admires that about you... You'd sacrifice anything for your family... Don't tell him I told you that."

He giggles "Your secret... Is safe with me." He smiles as she leaned up and pressed her lips against his.

Not the plan you suggested, but you have to give him credit for giving his all.

"Do you think you'll ever love anyone like you loved that girl?" Rebekah asked exposing her true feelings.

"One day, maybe." He smiled at her.

"I can always tell when you're lying, Stefan." She replied her voice low.

"What?" Stefan looked at the Original surprised "I'm not-"

"Don't bother." she cuts him off "Your kiss already gave you away." She replied firmly as Klaus walked into the room.

"Gloria's gone. She's cleared out. We need to find a new witch immediately." The sentenced died when he felt the tension in the room "What's going on?"

"Something's wrong, Nik. He was asking about Mikael. He's not with us. I can sense it." She whispers to her older brother.

"She's wrong. Klaus-" 

Before Stefan could defend himself Klaus zips towards him and snaps his neck. As soon as Stefan's body hits the ground, you turn around getting the hell out of there. You try to open the doors as silently as possible, however as soon as you managed to open it just halfway you feel a strong hand around your neck.

"You're not leaving so soon, now are you Y/N?" Klaus whispers into your ear and snaps your neck, turning everything black in an instant.

**_Y/N | Truck_ **

Your senses slowly snap back into focus, the tingling pain of a broken neck running down your backside. You rub your neck in pain and push yourself up. You feel a presence to your left, which is Klaus sitting atop a crate smirking in triumph. You hear Stefan groaning himself

"You mother-"you stop and stare at smudgy white hgv walls "trucker. You kidnapped us in a white van?Jesus, can you get any more cliché?

Klaus does not even chuckle at your debatably funny joke. How rude.

"Just give me a chance to explain myself, okay?" Stefan pleads once he got fully aware of the current situation.

"No need. I'm not mad, I'm just curious." Klaus shrugs " Rebekah seems to think you're holding onto something. A piece of your old life. The thing is, she's got flawless instincts, borderline supernatural. So I thought I would check it out. See for myself what it is you've been hiding."

"He's not hiding anything. I, on the other hand, have something you desperately want to get your hands on, remember? How about you give me what I want and I return it to you." you negotiate.

"Wait." Stefan intervenes "You know each other?"

"I will deal with you later, Y/N, for now.." Klaus answers, ignoring Stefan question. He gets up and opens the truck door with one swift motion. 

"Welcome back to Mystic Falls."

"Oh god." you throw your head back and stare at the ceiling "Just kill me right here. I don't want to set foot in this godforsaken town ever again."

"That can be arranged." he says, his voice low before everything turns black once more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first chapter has a lot of different pov's I am aware, but this is just to one, remind everyone where we are in the original season, and second, to get a feel how other characters feel about the reader.
> 
> I promise, it will be more focused on her and of course Kol. 
> 
> Also to be updated on newer chapters follow my tumblr blog: @justfangstvdto


	2. Chapter 02 "Here to pick up the pieces" (Part 1)

 

_Mystic Falls 1852_

"It wasn't on purpose, I swear," Stefan assured the broken glass of your father's bourbon decanter in his hands. There is a fairly deep cut on his right hand with blood running down his fingers "It just slipped out of my hand."

"It's alright, Stefan." You reach for the hem of your dress and tear a piece of cloth away and gently wrap it around Stefan's hand.

There are footsteps heard from above and it seems someone is tumbling down the stairs. Stefan's eyes widen in fear, knowing all too well that if your father comes in here and sees what Stefan had done, he would go ballistic.

"Go to mother and let her tend to that wound." you say taking the fault for Stefan's accident.

"No! I won't let you take the blame, I-"

"Go, Stef." you repeat " I can handle him.Go."

With one swift motion the door opens and in tumbles your slightly drunk father and his disoriented gaze falls upon the broken decanter "What is going on in here?" he slurs his nostrils fluttering with anger "Who is at fault for this?

Stefan opens his mouth ready to admit that it was him who dropped it, but he closes it shortly after,, scared of what your father would do to him.

"It was me, father." you step in front Stefan and gesture him to leave the room through the door behind you " I was cleaning and I..slipped."

You push Stefan back once more and he finally sneaks out of the room. He hides behind a door that leads into the living room as well and opens the door a crack and peeks through it. He witnesses how your father throws his glass towards you and how you dug just in time to avoid it hitting you, followed by endless screams and threats until he grabs you by the wrist and drags you down the cellar and locks you up in one of the cells he finished building a few years ago. He said you would not get out until you have paid for what you have done, which means you'll be held in the cellar with no food and no company for as long as your father thinks it's necessary.

You lean back on the cold stone wall, your ears ringing from your father's loud voice. You hear rustling outside and you assume it is your father coming back to scream at you some more. However, it is Stefan that drops down next to the door "I'm sorry." he says his voice full of regret.

"It's alright, Stef." you assure him moving over to the door resting your back on it "You know I am always going to protect you, right? Even if it means I'll have to pick up the pieces from messes you made. Nothing is going to change that."

You swear you could feel the smile forming on his face through the thick stone walls and you know that protecting him today, and the countless of times before that was worth it.

 

_**Elena | Mystic Falls High** _

It is prank night in Mystic Falls and the gang is occupied with turning the High School into a maze filled with traps and scares. Elena skips through another set of doors and heads through the school gymnasium when suddenly she bumps into a hard chest. "There's my girl."

"Klaus!" Elena whimpers.

"You are supposed to be dead" Klaus exclaims cocking his head to the side "What are we going to do about that?"

_**Damon | Random Highway** _

Damon is driving down the highway at an illegal speed limit, as per usual, with Katherine sitting next to him, riding shotgun.

"Are you hungry?" Katherine looks over, .playing with the tips of her hair "Let's stop for a bite. A truck stop. Or a trucker."

"Oh, stop being cute." he mocks throwing her a glare.

"It's not possible," Katherine smirks.

"We've been driving around aimlessly for hours. Where are we going?" Damon eyes her curiously.

"Far enough away so that you can't go running back." she replied bluntly and turns her head to look out of the window.

"Not to worry. "Damon pauses "Mystic Falls and I are on a bit of a break."

"You and Mystic Falls, or you and Elena?"

"Let's just say Elena and I are having a bit of difference of opinion on how I should behave," Damon replies, not feeling like digging any deeper into this topic with Katherine.

"Ooh. Let me guess..."Katherine purrs "Elena wants you to be the hero, and you don't like playing pretend." She turns so she is facing him to cup his cheek with her hand-

"Something like that." Damon mutters, his eyes leaving the road to gaze into her brown eyes

Her loss." she whispers and leans in to press her lips against him, which soon turned into an open mouth kiss. Though, what she did not anticipate is Damon shoving her off of him

What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd give it a shot." he shrugs wiping her lipstick from his lips "Truth is, you just don't do it for me anymore." Damon smirks.

Y/N | Truck

You and Stefan wake up in the back of the truck your neck aching like you have been headbanging on a concert for a week straight.

"Oh, they live." Rebekah exclaims resting on a crate.

"What happened?" Stefan asks rubbing his neck.

"Klaus happened." you reply.

"You two took a beating. My brother's been breaking your necks all afternoon, mostly yours, Y/N." Rebekah informs "What on earth could you have done to anger him that way?" she adds sarcastically.

"You know all too well what I did." you remind her " and I also know what you did." A flash of regret flickers over her eyes, but she shakes it off with a spiteful smile.

"We all did something, can we please get back on topic? Stefan intervenes rather rudely "Why did Klaus bring us back to Mystic Falls?"

"Because he enjoys Virginia's famous cherry pies, Stef." you deadpan throwing him a glare "Why do you think?"

"You can stop playing dumb, Stefan. It didn't take him long to figure out what you've been hiding." Rebekah shrugs.

I'm not hiding anything." Stefan replies shortly, denying everything even though he fears they already know the truth " I've done everything Klaus has asked me to." It was true, he never disobeyed him and did whatever Klaus wanted.

"No, you just failed to mention that the doppelgänger's still alive."

"Where is Klaus now?"

"With any luck, ripping that cow's bloody head off."

Stefan zips towards her and they both fly out of the truck and onto the ground, him on top of her.

"Where is she?"

"Guys, I like violence as much as the next person," you intervene "but is this really necessary?"

She gets up and pushes Stefan against the truck and punches him "You really do love her, don't you?" she asks, completely ignoring your interference. You hop of the truck and rush towards Rebekah.You grab a fistful of her hair and yank her away from your little brother. Admittedly the hair pulling might be a little below your standard, but it is very effective. Until Rebekah throws her head back and it meets with your nose. You stumble backwards, stars dancing shortly behind your eyelids, your nose already gushing out blood.

Rebekah uses the distraction and zips towards Stefan and wraps her hands around his neck and breaks it in one swift motion. She sooner vamp-speeds away as Stefan's unconscious body hits the ground.

"Oh, Stefan. I still have to clean up your messes, don't I?" you sigh looking at the school - or more like a lion's den- you are about to walk into, attempting to save your brother's girl you care so little about...

_Meanwhile in the Gym.._

Klaus holds onto Elena's arms and marches her through the school hallways

"You put a rather large kink in my plans, sweetheart." he looks down at Elena "The whole point of breaking the curse and becoming a hybrid was to make more hybrids. I haven't been able to do that. Now my bet is, it has something to do with the fact that you're still breathing."

"If you're going to kill me, just do it!" Elena hisses.

"Not until I know I'm right. But I do have ways of making you suffer." Klaus smirks and kicks the door open with his foot and enters the Gym.A few students are there setting up pranks.

Attention, seniors. You have officially been busted. Prank night is over. Head on home." Klaus suggests, using a fake American accent. His eyes fall upon Dana, a student he compelled while he inhabited Alaric's body.

"You two." he approaches them " I remember you."

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" she asks.

"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't in my right head last time we met." Klaus smirks and begins to compel her "Lift your foot up, please, Dana." She complies and Klaus then turns his attention to the confused guy next to her "If she drops her foot, Chad, I want you to beat her to death. Understood?"

"Don't Klaus. You don't have to hurt anybody." Elena says.

"Of course he does.That's all he's good at." you enter the gym earning surprised looks from everyone except Klaus. He must have known you would barge in once you are awake again.

_Damon | In the middle of nowhere_

Damon stops the car and gets out and Katherine follows suit. "Why are we stopping?" she asks

"I thought we might want to stretch our legs. Take a break from the sexual tension." Damon offers "I'm tired of driving. It's your turn."

"Fine." she nods and prepares herself to catch the car keys but Damon unexpectedly throws them into the distance "Hey! I-"

"We're not going anywhere until you spill your guts." Damon demands, staring her down with his blue eyes.

Fine." Katherine hisses and reaches into her pocket and shows him Elena's necklace "Do you remember this, hmm? A little birdy told me that Klaus wants to get his hands on it."

"Why would Klaus want Elena's necklace?"

"Does it matter? He wants it, and I have it. It's leverage, Damon. Always stay one step ahead of your enemy." she shrugs.

"I'll keep that in mind." he eyes her knowing all too well that he has to be on guard around her.

"But more importantly, when I stole the necklace from Bonnie, I found out something else...Something better." she smirks.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Damon cocks his eyebrows and crosses his arms over his chest.

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to stop Klaus? No turning back?" Katherine asks. She needs to know if Damon will be on her side on this.

"I'm not turning back." he assures.

"Good. Because this isn't going to win you any points at home." she walks to the trunk of Damon's car and opens it to reveal an unconscious Jeremy lying in there.

"Jeremy?" Damon scoffs "Really?"

_Y/N | Mystic Falls Gym_

"Y/N. I thought you would be indisposed a little while longer." Klaus sighs.

"Sorry to disappoint," you reply and shoot him a false smile. You feel Elena's eyes on you, who's head is probably spinning wild trying to figure out who you are "So you're the precious Elena, huh?"

"And who are you?" she asks, her voice slightly shaking.

"Y/N Salvatore. I would say I'm charmed to meet you, but I am really not."

It's not a lie. You really are not charmed in the slightest meeting another woman who yet again demands so much from Stefan. And a little birdie told you that it seems that Damon has a thing for her too. So much for their claims never to repeat that mistake again.

"Salvatore as in-"

"Yes as in Stefan and Damon." You finish her sentence "They never mentioned me, did they? Figures."

Suddenly the gym doors swing open and Elena's friends Bonnie and Matt enter, shocked to see Klaus.

"Bonnie, get out of here!" Elena yells and Bonnie's eye grow wide when she sees the smile on Klaus' lips.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up. Now we can get started" he looks over his shoulder and gestures Dana and Chad to sit down for a moment "I assume you're the reason Elena's still walking around alive?"

"That's right." Bonnie nods, a look in her eyes that could scare the toughest of people "If you want to blame someone, blame me."

"Oh, there's no need for blame, love. Just your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects. And since you caused the problem, I'm going to have you find the fix." he finishes the sentence and as if on cue, the door swing open and in walk Rebekah pushing another one of the gang, Tyler, with her.

"Get off of me!" the young werewolf orders.

"Okay that went on long enough." you sigh and walk a few steps towards Klaus "Let them go."

"And why would I do that?" he asks "because you have your silly diamond? Newsflash, love. The diamond is worthless without my brother's help and as you well know, he is rather indisposed at the moment."

"Are you so sure that the diamond is worthless?" You bluff, and Klaus' smile falters almost unnoticeable "I think you and I should consider a deal, wouldn't you say? But first, let these kids go. That's my price for now."

"No deal." he says returning the false smile you gave him earlier and turns his attention back to the others. You probably could have tried to bargain again or you could have even attacked, but it most likely would have ended in your death.

"I'd like you all to meet my sister Rebekah. Word of warning ..she can be quite mean." Klaus nods and throws her a smirk.

"Don't be an ass." she hissed and throws Tyler towards her brother.

"Leave him alone!" Elena yells without much effect.

"I'm going to make this very simple..Every Time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire hybrid they die during transition. It's quite horrible, actually." he notes and bites into his wrist forcing Tyler to drink from it " I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie. And for Tyler's sake...you better hurry." With that, he snaps Tyler's neck and drops onto the floor.

Matt squats down to Tyler's now dead body "He killed him" he whispers looking at his friends.

"He's not dead" you interfere "Klaus' blood will turn him into a vampire.." Elena's friends look at you with the same questioning look "Oh right. I'm Y/N Salvatore. And yes, as in Stefan and Damon. And you must be Bonnie, Matt and Tyler, right?"

"How do you kn-" Matt begins, but Klaus cuts him off.

"Are we done with the introductions?" Klaus hisses impatiently " If Bonnie is successful, Tyler will live through the transition. Go on, then. Go and fetch your grimoires and enchantments and what-not. I'll hold on to Elena..for safe-keeping."

Bonnie nods and grabs Matt's arm and hurries out of the room. They have a quite literal deadline and their worry for their mutual friend makes it even harder to concentrate.

"So this is the latest doppelganger. The original one was much prettier." Rebekah comments and you can't hold back a small giggle. One can say about Rebekah what one wants but she does have her wits "Oh, Y/N you're still here. Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"No, I don't and I don't plan on going anywhere either." you reply.

"Enough Rebekah." Klaus interferes " Take the wolfboy elsewhere, would you?" Klaus orders and Rebekah grabs Tyler's ankle and drags him from the room "Just ignore her. Petty little thing."

_Damon | Middle of nowhere_

Katherine and Damon are sitting atop a picnic table whilst they wait for Jeremy to wake up "I'm listening." Damon says.

"What if I told you there was a way to kill Klaus? And not Dagger dead. Dead dead." Katherine looks at him with another smug smile

"I'd say you were desperate and lying." Damon hisses "Or drunk. Or desperate, lying and drunk" Damon looks at her curiously, but she only snickers gently.

"Do you remember my friend Pearl?" she asks.

"Vividly." Damon nods.

"Centuries ago, she told me about a vampire who knew how to kill Klaus. Then she wouldn't tell me any more."

"Well, why not?"

"Because it was her leverage." Katherine sighs " She knew it was valuable information, and wouldn't share it with me."

"Well this is great...but she's dead." Damon replies shortly with his usual sarcasm.

"Which is why I never brought it up. Because she only ever told one other person."

"Who?" Damon asks creasing his eyebrows.

"Her daughter. Anna." she replies.

"Also dead."

"Which brings us back around to..." Katherine stops and waits for Jeremy to wake up. He heard the entire conversation and lets out a sigh.

"To me. Back around to me" Jeremy whispers.

_Y/N | Mystic Falls_

The gym doors open once more and Stefan walks in with a determined, yet worried look on his face.

"Stefan...." Elena whispers.

"Stef" You stand in his way " turn around and go. I can handle this."

"No." he shakes his head and walks past you. You grab his arm but he shrugs it off "Klaus I came to ask for your forgiveness and pledge my loyalty."

"Well, you broke that pledge once already," Klaus notes.

_You're not a man of your word either, Klausy-Klaus._

"Elena means nothing to me anymore." Stefan states and Elena at him, hurt by what he just said "And whatever you ask of me...I will do."

"Fair enough. Let's drink on it. Kill them." he looks back to Chad and Dana and gestures over to them

"Klaus stop this nonsense. Leave these high school kids be. They did nothing to you. Unlike me."

"You're right. You did." Klaus recalls and Stefan looks back at you with a questioning look on his face."And to be perfectly clear, you will answer for that bur right now you rather annoy me, so.. " he moves closer to you and his pupils dilate "I want you to start walking and don't stop until you reach the next town borders." he smirks as you nod and turn around.

Normally you would have been protected by the small amount of vervain you take in every day, but being locked up in the back of a truck prevented you from doing that.

"There is nothing worse for you than abandoning your brother who is about to dig into his true nature, now is there?" Klaus adds smirking in triumph.

_No there certainly is not._


	3. Chapter 03 "Here to pick up the pieces" (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned before the story will focus on the reader soon, just bear with me ;)

**_Y/N | Gym_ **

Klaus watches you leave the gym with a satisfied smirk on his face "That takes care of that problem, now where were we? What are you waiting for, Stefan? Kill them."

"No! Stefan don't. He's not going to hurt me. He already said-"But before Elena could finish her sentence Klaus violently strucks her across the face and she falls on the floor. 

Stefan quickly runs for Klaus but he stops him by grabbing his throat.

"She means nothing to you? Your lies just keep piling up." Klaus notes, his eyes boring into Stefan's.

"Let her go! I'll do whatever you want, you have my word." Stefan promises.

"Your word doesn't mean much. I lived by your word all summer, during which time I never had to resort to this..." He begins to compel him as well "Stop fighting."

"Don't do this, don't do this." Stefan begs.

"I didn't want to. All I wanted was you allegiance. Now I'm going to have to take it.." Klaus replies sternly.

"Don't...Don't...Stefan begs once more.

"You will exactly do as I say when I say it. You will not run, you will not hide, you will simply just obey." Klaus compels him "Now kill them. Ripper."

Stefan eyes slowly travel over to his prey and he vamps out and rushes towards them Dana's scream filling the echoey gym halls and reach your ears as you leave through the main entrance.

**_Damon | Middle of nowhere_ **

"This isn't going to work." Jeremy tells Damon and Katherine firmly, sitting on the picnic table, his phone beginning to vibrate next to him. Katherine grabs it and saw a message from Bonnie.

"I think your witchy girlfriend is worried that you've run away with your ghostly lover." Katherine chuckles.

"Stop with the teeny bopper drama." Damon orders narrowing his eyes once again "Focus."

"I'm not helping them." Anna tells Jeremy.

No, it's okay to help." Jeremy promises.

To Damon and Katherine there is only empty space, but Jeremy could see her clear as day "They are looking for a way to stop Klaus."

"I don't care. Katherine is not a friend to you. Neither of them are." Anna crosses her arms stubbornly over her chest.

"What's she saying?" Damon asks impatiently.

"Well, she doesn't want to help you." Jeremy shrugs.

"My advice?" Katherine looks at Damon and lowers her voice so only he could hear her " If you want to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs."

Damon understands what she is referring to and turns his head "Jeremy I want you to know, it's nothing personal" he grabs Jeremy's hair and slams his head against the table he has been sitting on.

"Ow! What the hell!?" Jeremy growls.

"Jeremy!" Anna calls out in concern.

"Anna, I know you can hear me." Damon yells into the void "Tell us what you know. The sooner, the better for your little boyfriend here."

"They're looking for Mikael." Anna told Jeremy.

"Mikael!" Jeremy calls.

"Mikael. Is that his name?" Katherine asks.

"Who's Mikael?" Damon asks giving her a clueless look.

"The vampire who hunts vampires." Anna explains to Jeremy "You don't want to wake him. He will kill all of you."

"What's she saying?" Damon looks at Jeremy who had been watching Anna talk.

"He's a vampire and a hunter, and you guys would be idiots to wake him." he replies and looks back to Anna "What do you mean, wake him?"

"It's time to go and find the keys." Damon tells Katherine and she agrees with a nod.

**Stefan | Mystic Falls Gym**

Stefan is feeding on Chad, his screams have died out by now and Dana was already dead at his feet "'It's always so nice to see a vampire in his true element. The species has become such a broody lot.." Klaus notes.

"No. You did this to him." Elena spats.

"I invited him to the part, love. He's the one dancing on the table." Klaus countered as Rebekah storms in the room rushing for Elena.

"Where is it?" she yells "Where is my necklace?"

"What are you talking about?" Klaus asks rather annoyed

"She has my necklace. Look!" Rebekah hands him Elena's phone and he saw the necklace that he needed around Elena's neck.

"Well, well. More lies." Klaus looks at Stefan.

"Where is it?" Rebekah asks again, her voice dangerously low.

"I don't have it anymore." Elena promises.

"You're lying!" Rebekah screams, dark veins appearing under her eyes and she hurries over to Elena biting her neck but Klaus pulls her off.

"Knock it off!"

"Make her tell me where it is, Nik!" Rebekah screams like a child that has lost its favorite toy. Klaus walks over to her and looks into Elena's dark brown eyes "Where's the necklace, sweetheart? Be honest."

"I'm telling the truth. Katherine stole it."

"Katerina. Of course. Well, that's unfortunate. If we had the necklace it would make things a whole lot easier for your witch, but since we're doing this the hard way, let's put a clock on it, shall we?" he grabbed a remote and the board atop the gym buzzes once the clock appears" 20 minutes" he walks over to Stefan and compels him once again "If Bonnie hasn't found a solution by then, I want you to feed again. Only this time, I want you to feed on Elena. You know you want to. If she tries to leave, fracture her spine."

He smirks at them and leaves, Rebekah following close behind.

**_Damon | Random highway_ **

Jeremy is still sitting on the bench slowly falling asleep while blood trickles down his forehead where his head hit the table earlier.

"Don't fall asleep, Jer." Damon calls out as he approaches him "You might have a concussion."

Thanks for the concern, dick." Jeremy retors.

"Oh, stop pouting" Katherine orders "He took one for the team. Everyone back home will thank you once Klaus is dead."

"Where's my phone?" Damon asks, feeling like he must have lost it somewhere.

"Do you need to check in with Elena? Make sure it's okay you pummeled her little baby bro?" Katherine smirks.

"You know you have it."

"What can I say? I needed you present here and now."

Damon holds out his hands "Katherine, phone, now." She sighs and gives it to him and he looks at it "Bonnie's been texting me."

"What is it?" Jeremy asks concerned.

"It's Klaus."

"No turning back, Damon." Katherine reminds him.

"Shut up, Katherine." he hisses.

"Hey, look at the big picture. The best shot at taking out Klaus is by finding Mikael." she tries to keep him on the task at hand once more but with no avail.

He looks at Jeremy and presses the car key to his chest "Stay with her so Anna can guide you. I'm going back."

You're going to get yourself killed." Katherine calls out and Damon turns his face to her "The Damon I remember wouldn't have been that stupid.

"I wouldn't have done it for you." Damon deadpanns and takes off.

**Stefan | Gym**

There are only a few minutes left on the clock and Stefan begins pacing up and down the wooden floor.

"Stefan, you can control this. When that buzzer goes off, just...just drink from me."

You don't get it. I can't stop, Elena! I'm a ripper!A ripper doesn't stop! I listen to the words that come out of your mouth, and all I hear is the sound of your heart pumping blood through your body." his voice is cold as he drags his fingers through his disarranged hair "And when that clock ticks down...I'm going to have to feed on you. And you want to know what's worse? I'm not going to be able to stop."

"I don't believe that. You can fight it. You just have to want it bad enough." Elena assures him.

"Why, because I love you?" his voice breaks.

"Yeah! That's right, Stefan. Because you love me. You'll fight because after everything that we've been through, you owe me that!" Elena tells him as tears roll down her face.

"You know what, you're right. You're right. I owe you everything. Because through all of this, you are the one thing that has kept me from giving up; from turning it all off. But I can't help what I am, Elena. The more blood that I get, the more I want, and if I get so much as near yours...You are dead." Stefan confirms.

Stefan looks at the clock and realizes that only a few moments are left "Elena, you're going to have run."

"But Klaus said that if I run-"

"I know what he said, but if you stay, it won't matter." The clocks is getting closer and closer and Stefan begins to panic "Elena, please, please, please. Elena, there's no other way."

"There is another way, Stefan. It's for you to fight." Elena tells him as the buzzer rings, signifying that the time as run out. "Stefan...I love you. Fight, Stefan. Don't give up.

"I can't hold it." he vamps out and charges towards Elena. She screams but Stefan manages to rush past her to the opposite wall "Elena, run! Go!"

Elena takes off and runs through the school, passing through numerous of hallways, while Stefan tries to hold onto everything in his way so he does not have to hurt Elena. But eventually, he rushes out of the gym and crashes from side to side through the hallways. Elena goes through another door and bumps into Klaus once again.

"We've got to stop meeting like this." Klaus smirks.

Stefan runs into the cafeteria and grabs a wooden mop that the janitor placed there, and he takes it and breaks it on his knee. He holds the remaining makeshift stake in front of him and stabs himself in the stomach. Klaus enters moments later with Elena firmly in his grasp.

"Now this is fascinating. I've never seen this before. The only thing stronger than your craving for blood is your love for this one girl. Why don't you turn it off?

"No!" Stefan growls.

"Come on. Your humanity is killing you. All the guilt must be exhausting.Turn it off." Klaus suggests.

"No!" Stefan growls again.

"Stefan..." Elena whispers.

"You're strong."Klaus reaches Stefan and removes the stake "But you're not that strong. Turn....it.....off."

"No!" Stefan shoves Klaus away from him and ignites Klaus'short temper with that action. He pins Stefan against the wall and compels him yet again.

"Turn it off!" He yells and Stefan respond immediately this time, his face features hardening and his eyes turning emotionless.

"What did you do?" Elena whimpers

"I fixed him" Klaus himself seems oddly surprised by his own rash action "But I think a test is in order, don't you?" He charges over to her and holds her firmly against his chest "Ripper...Perhaps you'd like a drink.. from the doppelgangers neck?"

Dark veins crawl up Stefan's eyes and he zips towards Elena and bites her neck.

**_Y/N | Near the Mystic Falls border_ **

You have been walking for quite a while, trying with all your might to resist Klaus' compulsion, sadly with no avail.

You are near your hometowns border leading to the next town. As your eyes fall upon the city sign, a memory manifests itself in your mind

_**New Orleans 1912** _

"Kol, do you ever miss your home?" you ask tracing your fingers over the letter Stefan had sent you.It has been a few weeks since you briefly reunited with your brothers for your uncle's funeral, but as usual, things did not work out quite the way you hoped"The one in Mystic Falls I mean?"

The sound of Kol flipping several pages fills the rounded walls of the tomb "No." he replies "Why? Do you?"

"I miss how close we were." you reply folding the letter and putting it aside "But the town itself? No. If I never set foot in this city again it'll be too soon."

Kol looks up and notices your slightly furrowed eyebrows. He closes the book and walks in your direction "You're worried about your brother, aren't you?" he asks. You nod.

"Listen, Y/N" he gently rests his hands on your shoulder, his brown eyes staring into yours "from what I gathered, your brother seemed to have handled this situation before. I am sure he will again."

"If you mean ripping people apart, then yes, he's handling that very well."

"No, what I mean is that you are not at fault for the choices he makes. You should not feel responsible to clean up his messes. Not anymore." his right hand drops down and brushed over yours, holding onto it carefully "And for what it's worth, you will always have a home here. Even in a tomb like this."

"Thank you. You're a good.. friend, Kol"

"Friends..right." he forces a smile and retrieves his hand, Something has changed in Kol's eyes, but you cannot quite make out what it is.

Is he... hurt?

**_Y/N | Present time_ **

Bright high beams rip you out of your nostalgic memory as the care comes to a step next to you, a voice calling out you have not heard in a while.

"Y/N? What the hell are you doing?" Damon asks backing up his car slowly..

"I'm taking an involuntarily late-night walk." you reply and turn your head to your older brother "Klaus compelled me." you clarify.

"How do you know Klaus?"

"Long story." you wave him off knowing that eventually you have to fess up "But we don't have time for this right now. Just go and help Stefan."

"Right." he nods and stops the slow-rolling car "Get in."

"I can't. But I'll come back as soon as I can." you shake your head. You know all too well that Stefan is in danger right this moment and there is no second to spare. Sure, Damon could have sped you to the next town border and turn around to head for Mystic Falls. But maybe the minutes he would have wasted on breaking your compulsion may be the minutes to save Stefan's life.

"But-"

"Just go, Damon!" you cut him off, gesturing him to finally listen to you.

Damon nods and drives off leaving you to continue your not so lovely late-night walk

**_Klaus | Highschool_ **

Moments later Klaus enters the classroom where Rebekah, Tyler and Caroline are currently in "Well, the verdict's in. The original witch says the doppelgänger should be dead.

Rebekah grins and rises from the seat she sat in "Does that mean we can kill her?"

"No, I'm fairly certain it means the opposite."

"What?!" Rebekah hisses. not amused in the slightest.

"Call it a hunch..."Klaus begins and slides a vial with blood over the table while Rebekah brings her arms around Caroline and restrains her ."Elena's blood. Drink it."

"No! No, no, no, Tyler, don't!" Caroline screams.

"If he doesn't feed, he'll die anyway, love. Consider this an experiment" Klaus shrugs as Tyler grabs the vial and gulps it down "There we go. Good boy."

Tyler immediately starts coughing and falls from the desk he has been lying on and groans and writhes in pain once he hits the floor. He holds his head in his hand and continues screaming until suddenly, he looks up and his eyes changed into a bright amber color with prominent black veins underneath.

"Well, that's a good sign" Klaus smiles, satisfied with the result

 

"So the doppelganger isn't the problem." Rebekah concludes "Her blood is the solution."

"Seems so" Klaus sighs.

"How did you know?"

"Well, you know how much the original witch hated me." Klaus explains "Do you honestly think I would do anything other than the opposite of what she says?"

"A thousand years in the grave and she's still screwing with you." Rebekah huffs.

"Well, it makes sense if you think about it from her perspective. It was her fail-safe in case I ever broke the hybrid curse. The doppelgänger had to die in order for me to become a hybrid, but if she was dead..."

"Then you couldn't use her blood to sire yourself a new species." Rebeka concludes.

"Leaving me alone for all time."Klaus nods, sadness overshadowing his being for a mere second.

"Is that what this is about? Your obsession with hybrids?" she looks at him, hurt that she is not good enough for his brother to be happy "You just don't want to be alone?"

"What I want is to take my girl, take my hybrid and get the hell out of this one-pony town." himpatiently "You know, why don't you, uh, get the truck? I'll get Elena." Rebekah scoffs and leaves just before Damon arrives.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up to the party." Klaus smirks

"Where is she?" Damon asks, instead of asking for Stefan's location.

"Elena? Ah, she's making a donation to a greater cause."He answers, his eyes switching over to the hospital "

Damon goes toward the hospital, determined to save Elena himself but Klaus stops him "I'm afraid I can't let you interfere, mate."

"You'll have to kill me." Damon replies in all honesty.

"Oh, I would love to kill you, but I made a pledge to your brother, and unlike him, I keep my word. Although, you know what, thinking about it now, he probably doesn't care that much anymore." he throws Damon on the hood of a nearby car ready to plunge his hand into him and rip his heart out.

"Don't you want to know about your friend Mikael?" Damon says while Klaus'hand is wrapped around his throat

Klaus smug expression instantly get overshadowed with fear "What do you know about Mikael?" he asks , his voice trembling.

"Just that he knows you're here."he taunts, knowing that he found the big bad hybrids weak spot.

"You're bluffing."

"Katherine and I found him. Consider it our leverage." Klaus closes his eyes for a second, probably cursing in his mind that his nemesis Katherine found Mikael with Damon's help. He then throws Damon against another car and Damon falls to the ground. He gets up a minute later to defend himself against Klaus, but he has already disappeared. Damon seizes the opportunity and hurries inside the hospital. He passes a few rooms before he finally find Elena.

"Damon..." she whispers.

"Hey." he brushed a few strand hair out of her face with a relieved smile is on his face. He puts his arms under her and lifts her out of the bed and carries her out of the room.

**_Y/N| Boarding House_ **

After you finally reached the town border, you instantly mad your way back to town. You "borrowed" a car and sped back to Mystic Falls where you stopped by the school first. However, Stefan or Klaus where to be found anywhere, so you decided to check your old home.

With squealing tires you bring your car to a stop in the driveway, parking directly behind Damon's Camaro. You take a deep breath before entering your old home and your mind instantly flooded with nostalgia. You have not been here since you briefly visited in the 50's.

You use your vamp hearing to determine where Damon and hopefully Stefan are, but you only hear Damon talking to a female voice. You make your way towards the library and you have to realize that to your disappointment, Damon chose to comfort the doppelganger instead of finding his brother.

"Are you serious?"

"Do you ever knock?" Damon sighs, avoiding your glare.

"Never have, never will. Besides, this was my house too once. " you remind him as your eyes fall upon Damon's hand on Elena's knee.

"Well isn't this cozy?" Stefan interrupts and leans against a pillar at the opposite side of the room.

Damon quickly retrieves his hand and gets up"What are you doing here, brother?"

Stefan walks into the room to the drink table and pours himself a drink.

"Last I checked, I live here. " he reports "Klaus is gone, but he's asked me to keep watch on you until he returns. From now on, you're under my protection."

"Gone? What do you mean Klaus is gone? Where the hell did he go?" you ask but Stefan only shrugs.

Stefan looks over to Elena and raises his glass to take a drink "Mmm, by all means. Carry on." he smiles and leave the room.

Oh this is going to be interesting. And not in a good way. There is no way you can leave now. It seems you're once again here to pick up the pieces.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 04: "Recipe for Disaster"

 

 

 

**New Orleans | 1913**

Your footsteps echo through the dimly lit tomb at the Lafayette Cemetery, the parchment in your hand comforting your skin.

"I found it!" your voice now accompanies the echoes of your steps as you hurry inside.

"You found what?" Kol raises from the chair he has been sitting on.

"The missing ingredient."

You unfold the piece of parchment signed with an owl sigil and place it on the table. Kol's eyes travel along the carefully drawn line of a perfectly shaped diamond. He arches his eyebrows slightly and it seems like he recognizes this magical diamond from his witchcraft studies "Of course! The paragon diamond!"He pulls you into a hug and lifts you in the air. "You're a genius, Y/N!"

He stops twirling after a few moments setting you down in your feet again, his face close to yours and you can swear you can see a flicker of surprise in his eyes as if he is astounded to be as near to you as he is right now. He just looks at you without saying anything or moving a muscle, before he suddenly comes closer. And closer, and closer, until he abruptly pulls away and clears his throat. "Uhm..How did you figure it out?"

"I called in a few favors and asked a very talented, yet creepy witch." you hop on the table behind you and Kol leans on it as well.

"She's with that secret organization of yours, right?"

"Yes."

"Will you ever tell me who they are?" he reaches for the drawing behind him

"It's better if you don't know, believe me." he nods and unfolds the paper, a smile instantly appearing on his face.

"We are actually doing this." he looks at the drawn version of the diamond that could answer all his prayers of a dagger-free life. He looks at you and the sincere and utterly alluring smile of his makes your heart beat like a machine drum. This guy is going to be the death of you someday..

**Y/N | Present time**

You wake up with a gasp, the image of Kol's smile prominent in the back of your mind as the sound of Bon Jovi songs reach through the dark, wooden halls of your brothers - and currently your - home. Stefan probably has a party going on this early in the morning. You hesitantly roll out of bed with a loud groan, almost slipping on the sleek wooden floors. There are rugs everywhere in the house but not in your room, it is as if they want you to break your neck every morning.

None of your clothes are here obviously because being kidnapped pretty much makes it impossible to take them with you. The only thing you could wear is an old pair of jeans and an old 90's Nirvana shirt with "Smells like Teen Spirit" written on it. You bought that particular shirt at a shop at one of the last shows you visited with Damon and you must have forgotten to take it with you after yet another fight with him. Living, or better, sleeping in the same house again will definitely result in a lot more fighting, that is for sure.

You open the door and the loud, and somewhat annoying voice of Jon Bon Jovi hits you like a brick wall. Seriously, can Stefan be any more annoying right now?

You walk down the first steps before you stare down at two dead girls at the foot of the rug-covered stairs "I love waking up to dead people in the morning." you mutter to yourself as you casually hop over them. Once you reach the living room you are greeted with a very disturbing sight. Stefan casually hangs out on the couch with a bloody twister mat at his feet.

"Uh-oh. Alexandra, left hand, please." Stefan ignores you and Alexandra gives him her hand and he turns it and bites her wrist.

There are footsteps heard from behind you and you can hear Damon hopping over the girls in the same manner as you did a few seconds ago.

"Hey, the two brunettes on the staircase owe me a Persian rug." Damon notes and stops dead in his track once he sees how Stefan is playing a very bloody and deadly version of twister.

"You mean, they owe us a Persian rug? It's my house, too, brother."

"A persian rug, seriously? What are we, the Kelly Family?" you shake your head at your brother's weirdly fancy taste. What happened to them?

"So this is what Klaus had in mind when he compelled you to protect Elena?" Damon gestures towards Stefan and his questionable company.

"These ladies are helping me be all that I can be."

_You are so much more than this, little brother and you know it._

A knock on the door echoes through the halls. Damon goes and opens the front door, revealing Rebekah packed with shopping bags. "Where's Stefan?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Rebekah?" you step in her way but she casually ignores your attempt, takes a step to her left and enters the living room.

"He left me here. My brother actually left me here."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Stefan raises his eyebrows "Your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care."

You snicker, completely agreeing with your brother's comment. You really don't care what happens to Rebekah. Not anymore. You used to be friends once upon a time but as always, her loyalty to Klaus doomed your friendship as time went on.

"You're Klaus' sister?"

<<p>"Rebekah. Pleasure, I'm sure." she turns her head and flashes him a fake smile "Which one's my room?"

"You're not staying here." Stefan shakes his head.

"Definitely not." you add.

She then looks at Damon expecting an answer from him as well, but he remains silent.

"Rude. All of you. I'll see to it myself." she walks off and hurries up the stairs.

The vibrating of your phone interrupts you from going after her and kindly throw her out of the house. "Just stay the hell out of my room!"

You open the text message: We have a new location for that missing diamond of yours: 1612 Oaklawn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28216

Finally after all these years a new lead. But what about Stefan? What about your brother that has fallen into the deep end yet again? But it is the diamond you have been searching for. You cannot give away that chance. Maybe you could spare one day to retrieve the diamond and then focus on getting Stefan away from Klaus and maybe, just maybe bargain Kol's freedom with the diamond, or simply try to finish the dagger on your own. Yes, going after the diamond sounds like the best plan for now.

"And where are you going?" Damon asks as you pass the livingroom where now only several dead girls lie on the floor with no Stefan in sight.

"Out." you reach for the door handle but a hand pushes to door back to its usual, closed state.

"Nope. You're not going anywhere."

"Damon get out of my way before I have to hurt you." you push his hand away, but he simply jams the door shut with his foot instead " I really don't have time for this right now."

"How do you know Klaus?" he narrows his eyes trying to stare you down, however years of bickering and fighting made you immune to his death stare.

"Let's just say I ran into him a long time ago, tried to put him down, failed and now he seeks revenge." you knew that this question would come up eventually and you are surprised they did not bombard you with questions last night.

"You tried to put him down? How?"

"It doesn't matter. It didn't work." you wave him off.

"Why do I feel like this is not all of the story?"

You would love to tell the entire story of how you fell in love with Klaus's brother and how you failed to put Klaus down, but you can't. You fear that your brothers would simply not understand. This is why you cannot reveal any details. Even if you so desperately want to.

"Because you're paranoid, Damon. So could you kindly get the hell out of my way?" he blinks as a few moments pass and much to your surprise, he steps aside. You huff before finally opening the door. A fresh breeze comforts your face as you step outside, but the rustling of Damon putting on his jacket disrupt your short moment of bliss "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm coming with you." he fumbles around in his pocket, padding the outside as well, probably looking for his car keys.

"Uhm, no? You stay here with Stefan." Damon is about to protest but you intervene before he can do so "Damon. Stay here. Keep an eye on him and call me if things get out of hand. I'll be back tonight, okay?"

"So that means you're staying?" There is a certain vulnerability in his voice.

"I guess I am. For now."

"Aw, leaving so soon?" Stefan casually leans against the doorframe, his voice dripping with sarcasm "I thought you planned on staying here to redeem my soul or something. Oh, but then again you are the cause of everything that I am. That's why you're here, right? To relieve your guilt?"

"No that's not why I'm here, Stef and you know it. I am here because after all I still care." you look over to your big brother as well "About both of you."

"Yeah, sure. Here is the thing...if you say we mean so much to you, where were you all those years? Why didn't you return earlier, huh?"

"You know all too well why." you snap back before speeding away.

A few miles down the road..

Stefan is right. You are the cause of his monstrous ways. You revealed Katherine's nature to your father and the townsfolk, resulting in your and your brothers getting shot by your father. You are the reason he has to suffer through this and that reality has not been crystal clear to you at the beginning. Or better, you tried to ignore it...

**_Mystic Falls 1864_ **

It was a few weeks after your transition. Damon managed to control his hunger quite fast, whereas you struggled a lot. But Stefan could hardly control his bloodlust, and you knew that his transition not only amplified his compassion and care, it also turned him into a monster you have never seen before.

The only thing that kept you going in these hard times was knowing that you are united with your brothers. Yes, Stefan is going off the rails and Damon seems even sadder than before, but the only thing that matters is that you are together. Nothing could ever change that.

Or so you thought until Stefan greedily fed on a girl until her head fell straight off.

"No no no..-" Stefan panicked and tried to re-attach the ripped-off head while Damon only looks at his brother with disgust "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry.."

"No, Stefan this is not your fault. If I would have kept my mouth shut, none of this would have happened." you caress his head not realizing the heaviness of the words that just came out of your mouth.

"What?" Stefan brushes your hands off of him in a harsh manner.

Oh crap.

"Y/N what did you do..?" Damon asks.

Well, the damage is done. No reason to lie now.

"Because of your and Stefan's obsession over Katherine I had to turn to our father. Our father, Damon. The one who locked me in the cellar for days for cleaning up both of your messes."

They just stand there, completely still. Stefan's eyes flicker to the dead girl at his feet and then back to you. In this mere second, he looks away, his eyes completely changed. He now looks at you as if you were a complete stranger. Damon, on the other hand, is clenching his fist and you know all too well he is furious with you "You..You turned us into this?"

"No Katherine did. She was the one w-"

"No, YOU did this, Y/N." Damon cuts you off "Katherine might have fed us her blood, and father might have shot us, but you, you loaded the gun."

"There was no other way! She consumed both of you. Who knows what could have happened." you try to reason with him but he only stubbornly crosses his arms in front of his chest. You turn your head to your little brother, who has been awfully quiet through this. If someone understands it will be him. "Stefan, you must understand, don't you?"

"Just leave."

Your heart sinks into your chest once his words fall from his mouth. He wants you to leave. Your own brother wants you to leave.

"Stef..."

"Leave and don't come back. Ever. Do you understand?"

You take a few steps towards him, but he only pushes you away from him "LEAVE!"

**Y/N | Present time**

The haunting thoughts and Stefan's words stayed with you throughout your 3-hour long journey until suddenly the navigation on your phone announces that you reached the final destination; a cemetery. Why on earth would the diamond be here, in Charlotte out of all places?

You pull into the parking lot and stop your car in a spot where another car could easily park next to if you if you would not have parked it as carelessly as you did. You are definitely parking like a complete douchebag.

You open the creaky metal gate, checking your phone for the exact GPS location. It leads to an opened tomb in the middle of the cemetery. A tomb with an opened door either means someone was just buried there, or someone broke in. Either way, you need to get in there.

You hop over a short hedge and enter the already open tomb. You stop dead in your tracks once you spot another person lighting candles; Katherine

"Oh good. It's official. I'm in hell." You lean on the cold stone wall next to you.

"Y/N! How awful it is to see you..again." she fakes a smile in a perfect manner. No wonder, she tends to fake every single human interaction. She mastered that craft.

"I see you haven't lost your stalker tendencies." you say, remembering the flash of blue you caught of her when you arrived in Chicago.

"Neither did you." she retorts, referring to you finding her in this forsaken place. What she does not know is that you did not come here for her. But her paranoia gets the best of her as it always does.

"The hell are you doing here?" you cross your arms in front of your chest.

"I'm babysitting." Katherine tips her head to the side and tosses her brown locks over her shoulders.

"You're babysitting dead people in a tomb? I mean I know that you're flying the extra batshit miles since, well, forever but that's a little too crazy. Even for you."

"Oh, Y/N you keep overlooking the very obvious." she says raising an eyebrow as she gestures over to the slightly opened burial vault.

"Mikael..." you look at his desiccated face you have only seen when Kol showed you flashbacks of his childhood. But something else grasps your attention even more; a shimmering, perfectly shaped diamond lying on his feet. What on earth is it doing here? How did it get here? No one but you, Kol and...Klaus knew about its existence.

This is just great. Your nemesis, Mikael Mikaelson and you in one room. Now add the newly discovered diamond to that mix and you have the perfect recipe for disaster..

"Huh, little Y/N knows the big bad vampire vampire hunter..who would've thought?"

"Who put him here?"

"Klaus I presume. With the help of witches of course." she shrugs looking at her perfectly manicured nails.

Klaus. He was the one who immobilized his father in this tomb. Does that mean he is also the one who stored the diamond here and was he bluffing back in the gym where he talked about it? Is he playing games?

"What do you plan on doing with him?"

"You'll see. Now, why don't you tell me why you're here?"

You cannot tell her. Katherine is the last person that should know about that diamond. She would most likely steal it and negotiate her freedom with it, and everything you and Kol have worked for would be useless.

"Oh you know, admiring the countryside, eating cherry pie and hanging out in tombs. The usual."

"Urgh, you always were the rustic type." she glances over your shirt and purses her lips in disgust.

"Why, because I don't hide under a sophisticated facade with way too thickly applied makeup?" Katherine is about to throw yet another comment in your face, as a loud gasp interrupts the both of you.

"I apologize for my outburst. It would have made more sense had you known that I've been denying myself human blood for as long as I can remember." Mikael looks at you and stares for a short while before he turns his attention to Katherine "Why is it that you awoke me?"

"I thought you might know how to kill Klaus. But something tells me that I've been sorely misinformed." Katherine sighs throwing her hair back onto her shoulders yet again.

"Wait..you want to kill Klaus? As in dead-dead?"

"Yes. So what?" Katherine shrugs "You're not on his side, are you Y/N?"

Of course, you are not. But Klaus is Kol's brother. After everything, you do not think he wants to see him dead.

"Would you mind helping me with these?" Mikael wriggles his chains "I can assure you there's no way I can kill Klaus from beneath them."

"Does that you mean you do know how to kill him?" Katherine smiles in victory.

"I can kill Klaus. And I will." Katherine breaks his chains "Thank you."

"A little blood will grease those muscles up real quick. Just saying..." you remind him, trying to get him and hopefully Katherine out of the tomb to grab that diamond.

"I don't feed on living things."

"Then what do you eat?" you crease your eyebrows in wonder. Mikael only smiles weakly and the next thing you know he greedily feeds on your neck. You try to get free from his grasp, but Mikael being over a thousand years old makes it impossible to move. Meanwhile, Katherine just sits back and enjoys the show instead of running, like she usually does. Your vision soon gets blurry and fades into black once again. The amount of you passing out due to a fellow vampires actions is getting ridiculous...

You wake up on the hard and cold stone floors a few minutes later, your neck already healed from Mikael's bite. You blink a few times, your sight still blurry as you get up. Your eyes then fall upon the opened burial vault and a pressing thought comes to your mind: Where the hell is the diamond?

**_A few hours pass..._ **

You smash the door shut behind you once you finally reach the Boarding House early in the morning.

"Call me if anything goes out of hand, she says. I'll be home tonight she says." Damon swirls his bourbon around, the lit fire of the fireplace dancing in the brown liquid " I called you a thousand times."

"Shut up and drink with me." you fill yourself a glass and you sit down next to him on the couch. You hear several things falling over upstairs which indicates that Stefan is either drunk or angry. Or both.

A few moments of silence pass where you gulp drink after drink, trying to drown your failure with bourbon "It's been like what? 20 years since we've hung out like that?"

He nods."Something like that."

"Who would've thought we would actually sit together without you annoying me to death like you did, especially as a kid." you remember "Jesus, you were a nightmare."

"Hey, I wasn't that bad." he counters mildly offended.

"You were the one who sabotaged anything mother had told me to take care of. You got me into so much trouble." you huff before taking a sip from your drink.

"That's not true. I was a shy, polite and reserved kid."

"As if. You were and shy and reserved asshole, that's what you were." you point your finger at him "Remember the time where you cut the wool into pieces I used for knitting clothes for the winter? I ended up with lots of knots everywhere? Mother reminded me every single day how incapable I was."

"I told you that wasn't me." Damon shrugs pledging his innocence " We had an awful mice plague, you know?"

"Mice plague my ass." you huff before suddenly the scene from this morning and the haunting images from the look into you past on your way to Charlotte sneak into your mind "You know, I am sorry for not telling you earlier. I should have told you that I was the one who brought father into this."

Damon takes another gulp and remains silent for a second, staring into the distance

"I know you meant well. It's fine."

You are surprised by his sudden understanding, yet you cannot agree with it. "It's not. I mean look at Stefan. I am the cause of this."

"You are not to blame, Y/N. Katherine and Klaus are. Not you." he looks at you, his eyes unusually kind.

"I don't think so." you shake your head "You heard him. He said it himself."

"Because he is all rippery and nasty. It is not your fault."

"But I was the cause of our transformation. If I simply wouldn't have been the snitch, none of this would have happened.

"And we would be rotting in a grave somewhere by now. This is a better alternative." you look at him trying to find any kind of prove he is insincere, but nothing. He actually means what he said.

Damon gets up and heads over to the table to pour himself another drink. You sense that he does not wish to talk about this topic any longer, so you decide to drop it. "So tell me, what happened today?"

"Where should I start...oh, Stefan almost burned to a crisp due to some weird ghostly interference." Damon slams the decanter on the table, spilling bourbon on the wooden surface "The whole car was on fire."

"Ghosts, really?" he definitely lost some screws of sanity over the years "Dude this isn't Supernatural. Ghost can't interact with objects, let alone set a car on fire."

"That's what happened." Damon raises his eyebrows, probably doubting his sanity as well at this point.

"Glad I wasn't here then, or I might have had to kick some ghost's ass." you laugh as the scene of you fighting an invisible force has you giggling.

Out of the blue, a vase shatters next to Damon, ending your giggling quite quickly "What the-" without warning, Damon gets thrown to the other end of the room and groans as he hits the ground "fuck is happening?" is all you can say before your world once again abruptly fades into black yet again.

"This is going to be fun." the recently killed Mason Lockwood smiles, thoroughly looking forward to torturing his murderer...

 

 


	5. Chapter 05: "Ghosts of the Past" (Part 1)

 

**New Orleans | 1913**

It is cold. Freezing actually. The cold December air howls through the narrow stone walkway of the Lafayette cemetery. The clicking sound of the dimming and on and off going electric light bulb is accompanied by the rustling and music-carrying grammophon. A newly released song named "is currently playing and it's included dance instructions within the song convinced you to dance.

As you dance along to the ridiculous song, another pair of feet enter the tomb and immediately come to a halt. Kol stands there, a fashionable bowler hat resting on his head and a dark coat on his shoulders. 

 

He smiles as he watches you, his breath shallow in fear to disturb you in your moment of believed lonesome.

Kol is certain he could remain in these shadows forever observing you, much like he does whenever you two dig deep into the lore. He would sit there and hold his book up pretending to read, when in reality he would peek over it from time to time and look at you, smiling at the concentrated look on your face.

He thoroughly enjoys seeing you without your walls up that you seem to raise whenever he comes to close. He believes that he or his reputation is the cause. He is afraid to scare you away because he likes you, god he likes you so much and the last thing he wants to do is make you run from him like a lot of people have before.

The song comes to a stop and as well does your dancing. You laugh and comb through your hair with your hand, breathless. You turn on one foot, a bright smile on your face. You look up to see none other than Kol standing there.

Your heart skips a beat, your mind instantly flooded with embarrassment and you wish that a hole would appear and suck you away into oblivion. The rising of your walls as realization kicks in, is almost visible with the naked eye and your bright smile falters into a less bright one.

Kol's smile, on the other hand, brightens, his eyes warm and not at all as if he's laughing at you. You look down at you feet and turn away from him, hiding your blushed cheeks as you take a seat on the dark leather seat.

Kol still stands there, motionless, with a determined thought in his mind. He needs to break down your walls. No, he will break down them down no matter how long it takes.

**Y/N | Present Time**

The room is dark with only small rays of sunshine coming through the half-closed curtains. The familiar ache in your neck accompanied by the rustling of metal clanking together steers you awake. You look around the room, the familiar surroundings indicating that you are still at the boarding house, however, what or whoever attacked you is still invisible.

You move your hand, only to find out that they have been restrained with a metal handcuff around your wrist. A pained groan to your right makes you turn your head. Damon is restrained as well, but unlike you, he has a poker sticking through his chest and a metal chain wrapped around his torso.

"Seriously, this neck snapping has to stop." You move your head, the muscles in your neck cracking with your movements.

"Low blow, Stefan. Low blow" Damon groans and tries to wiggle himself out of the chains with no avail. He seems quite relaxed giving the circumstance.

Stefan appears in the door frame casually leaning against it with a smile on his face, as if he has been waiting for his name to be called "What the hell happened to you two?"

"Whatever twisted ripper game this is, leave us out of it" Damon groans.

"I didn't do this." Stefan claims, the smug smile not leaving his face. He looks like a little boy that just got away with eating the last cookie in the jar.

"Quit screwing around, Stefan."

"It wasn't him." you shake your head " I would have seen it. It was some kind of invisible force"

"So much for no ghosts, huh?" Damon shoots you a look, his eyebrow cocked.

Stefan hops down the stairs and pulls at the chains " It's pretty messed up though, isn't it?"

"Yep" you and Damon saying in unison.

Stefan removes the flat iron stake from Damon's chest which results in Damon cursing under his breath. He then begins to remove the chains but stops midway. He shrugs and starts to leave but not without ripping one of the restraints away from your wrist.

"Thanks a lot, bro." Damon calls after him, displeased with his brothers lack of care.

Now that your hand is free, you use it to rip the other restraint from your wrist and throw it behind you on the wooden floor, the metal clicking as it meets the ground. You do the same to Damon's chains. "Ok what the hell is happening here?"

"Mason is happening." Damon looks down at his shirt, sighing in annoyance.

"Mason...Why does that name sound so familiar..?" one of your handy spies mentioned someone called Mason in his reports. "Oh right, it's the Lockwood uncle!"

"Is there anyone you don't know? First Klaus and Rebekah, now Mason. Don't tell me you know any other original vampires or werewolves."

_Oh, brother if you only knew half of it._

"What can I say? I like to keep track on my hometown. Or my turf as the kids nowadays would say."

"Your  _turf?_  Really?" Damon furrows his eyebrows at the word you used "Could you at least try to be cool just once in your life?"

"Yeah yeah screw you too" you wave it off "So, that Mason guy...you killed him, right?" Damon nods. "And now you think he is the one that chained us to a chair and stabbed you with that poker, because he's pissed?"

"Bingo. And I have just the guy to help us fix this. Come on, let's go." he cocks his head to the door and makes his way towards it.

"Uhm no? I have things to do." Drowning in self-pity over the yet again stolen diamond is one of them. And maybe you should use the time to get some clothes since it seems you will stay a while. At least until Stefan is himself again.

"Oh, yeah?" he stops "pLike what?"

"You know.. things. Out there." you gesture out of the nearby window." Without you."

"Yeah, I don't think so." he shakes his head "I'm not going to let you walk around on your own while freaking ghostapalooza is going on."

"Ugh, fine." You would never admit it aloud or even to yourself, but you missed your brother. Both of them. And if agreeing to follow Damon for the day means spending time with him, so be it. Though you wish Stefan would be there too "But I'm driving."

"Not a chance. You will never - I repeat-  _never_ drive my car."

"Oh, come on! I got you that car in the first place, remember? So technically it's mine too." It was a birthday present in a short period where two got along well - it was probably because you two were blackout drunk most of the time. Knowing that you probably should have got him something with less accident potential.

"Whatever. Let's go"

"Wait." you stop "Shouldn't you change first? I mean I'm all for the bloody look, but I doubt the townsfolk would be okay with that. And I really want to take a shower as well"

"Good thinking. Meet back here in 10?"

**Y/N | Damon's Car**

After you two washed up and changed, you hopped into Damon's car heading to meet his buddy. He takes a left at a typical suburban-looking street with Caroline and Bonnie on the sidewalk hanging lanterns. He comes to a halt next to them. "Greetings, blondie. Witchy."

"Who's that? Your new girlfriend?" Caroline asks raising one eyebrow.

"Ha! You think I would date that? Please." you huff, earning a "what the hell" look from Damon "Believe it or not but I am related to him."

"Oh, so you're Y/N?"

"And you're Caroline Forbes, wolfy Lockwood's girl. Oh, and hello there Bonnie. Good to see you again without Klaus breathing down our necks."

"Are we done with the chit-chat now ?" Damon interrupts quite rudely and turns his attention to Bonnie "BonBon, I think you got your voodoo wires all crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan."

"What do you mean, why?"

"Because I'm pretty sure I just got spit-roasted by Mason Lockwood's ghost."

"Why would you think that?" Caroline asks.

"Maybe because he chained me to a chair and shoved a hot poker in my chest." Bonnie and Caroline look at him a little baffled "Let's just say I'm having deja vu and I don't have time for a vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead."

"Amen to that." you nod your head.

"Whatever you screwed up, fix it." Damon glares at Bonnie and shifts into drive and starts to take off. You give the girls a wave goodbye which they do not return. How rude.

"I can't get over the fact they have a sister." Bonnie says watching the Camaro drive off in the distance.

"I know right? But she seems nice...ish." Caroline shrugs "She did try to help you back at the gym."

"I don't know. There's something off with her don't you think? Like she's hiding something."

"She's a 160-something-year-old vampire. Of course, there's something off with her."

"I guess" Bonnie keeps staring down the now empty road not able to shake her witchy instinct.

**Y/N | Mystic Grill**

"So this is the infamous Mystic Grill, huh? I am not impressed." you shrug. The grill has nothing on the bars you've visited all over the world. Especially the ones in New Orleans. Nothing could ever top the atmosphere and flair these bars had. "So who is your ghostbuster guy? And where is he? Or are we just here to day drink?"

"My buddy Alaric. Right there." he points to a sandy-blond haired guy at the bar.

"Wait, Alaric, the vampire hunter? Are you insane?" He clearly lost his mind.

"Your spies didn't tell you? We're friends." Damon smiles and makes his way towards the bar.

"Of course you are. A vampire and a vampire hunter. What could go wrong?" you sigh following after him.

As you two approach him Alaric's shoulders tense almost unnoticeable. "You know, I've had enough vampires today, thanks."

"Oh, come on. Have a drink with me and my sis." Damon gives him a clap on the shoulder and hops on a barstool while you do the same "We've got trouble."

"No, you've got trouble." Alaric snaps back clearly fed up with the supernatural drama "See, we're not a team. You tried to kill me. All right? We're not friends. I don't like you anymore."

"It's a wonder you even liked him at all. He's awful." Alaric looks at you for the first time as if he did not even realize you were there before "I'm Y/N by the way." Alaric nods, which you presume is his way of saying hello.

"Ric, remember back when you did like me and we conspired to kill Uncle werewolf Mason Lockwood?"

"Yeah, and?"

"I think he's still a little pissed."

"Well, that is an understatement." you huff "Damon thinks that Mason was the one who-" the sound of your phone blurting out a BonJovie medley interrupts your sentence and you instantly know it's Stefan calling. What could he want? "Don't tell me you killed your precious little doppelganger and need someone to dig a grave. Because if so, I'm in."

"Uhm.. it's Elena."

"Oh..."  _Whoops._  "What do you want?"

"I need your help." Of course, she does. You would not have expected otherwise.

"Couldn't you call someone else? With your own phone preferably?"

"Just..get over here. It's about Stefan". her voice sounds desperate and quite distressed. What on earth happened? "Please?"

"Fine. Text me the address" you end the call and drop your phone display-first on the counter "Ugh. I gotta stop doing this."

"Stop doing what?" Damon asks and takes a sip out of his just ordered drink.

"Being nice to people."

Damon almost chokes on his drink, while Alaric just shakes his head, wishing to be anywhere but here. "Nice to pe- Are you kidding me? Have you met you? You're the meanest person I know!"

"Hey!" you shove Damon almost pushing him off the seat. "I could have easily captured Elena and gave her to Klaus as a peace offering. I didn't. Equals nice person. Anyway, I gotta go. Sister duties and all."

Damons hand wraps around your arm "It's not safe, Y/N."

"No shit, but when have I ever been safe, Damon? I'll be fine. There won't be any ghosts of my past haunting me today, alright?" you nod before your eyes switch to Alaric "It was nice meeting you, Alaric. If this one tries to kill you again, you let me know." you wink at him and he seems to be quite perplexed. It's best to be on a hunter's good side, right?

You read the address Elena texted you, which is funny enough at the city jail a few blocks away. On your way to the door, you unexpectedly bump into someone that just entered the grill "Oh, sorry."

"No problem." the dark haired man answers and steps aside and holds the door open for you and you smile in response. You have forgotten how nice these people in this town are nowadays. Maybe it's not so bad here after all.

The dark haired man makes his way to the bar, his eyes fixated on Damon and Alaric.

"God, I miss whiskey." Mason says as he takes a sip from Damon's glass before smashing it on Damon's forehead.'

"Told ya" Damon looks at Alaric who is baffled by the not-so-dead Mason standing in front of him.

**Unknown | Outside Mystic Grill**

A woman packed with shopping bags rounds the corner after an excessive shopping trip and comes face to face with a peculiar dressed young lady. "Can I help you with something?" she asks. The girl looks like she just escaped a Victorian painting with the long dress and the tophat on her golden hair.

"Do you know her?" she gestures down the road, where you are currently walking.

"I don't think so." the woman answers, unease spreading through her body" Why? Do you?"

She nods "Is there a post office nearby? I have to send her a message."

The woman furrows her eyebrows at her request while the girl simply eyes you crossing the street, a wicked smile on her face.


	6. Chapter 06: "Ghosts of the Past" (Part 2)

**Y/N | Mystic Falls City Jail**

The way over to the police station was filled with head-turning gestures and area scans because you could not shake the feeling of being watched. Whenever you turned around though, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It's probably just your usual level of paranoia. You never know who could be watching you.

The smell of paper, coffee and donuts still linger in the air as you set foot in the nearly empty station. Your pocket begins to vibrate as the door shuts behind you. It's probably just Damon.

However, when you look at the illuminated display it is someone completely different.

HQ calling.  _Shit._

"I can't talk right now. I-"

"The boss requested a status update."

"Just because we worked together for years, doesn't mean I'm their property. I'll be back, well... when I'll be back, okay? Don't call again." You quickly hang up and turn your phone off to avoid further interactions. Oh, how you miss the days without phones...

"There you are. " Elena's voice calls out from behind.

You jump a little, startled by her showing up "Wow, I didn't even hear you come in. That's a first."

She gives you a weak smile and turns around to lead you to where they have Stefan locked up.

Not much of a talker, huh?

She opens a small door that leads to the old jail underneath the current one. "If this is some sort of trap, I suggest you tell me now or things won't be very pretty for you.

"Why are you so suspicious?"

"Regardless what you might think, Elena, not everyone has the best intentions. Not even in this town." You hop down the last pair of stairs. A woman with long blond hair who seems oddly familiar has her back turned to you. Stefan, who seems to be unconscious is bound to a chair with chains.

The women turns around as you two approach and you stop in your tracks. It's Lexi. Stefan's best friend. "Lexi?!"

"Long time no see, Y/N." Lexi says and waves at you "For you at least."

"Oh my god! Hi!" You rush towards her, embracing her in a hug "So Damon was right. Ghosts are really here?" Lexie nods. "Anyone else feeling a bit paranoid?"

A groan passes Stefan's lips indicating that he must be waking up."So. We're going with the usual plan, right?"

"The usual plan?" Eleana interveres. She has to know all the detail at all time, doesn't she?

"Strip away the bloodlust, dry him out and remind him of emotional attachments until something triggers an emotion and boom, Bob's your uncle." You say, quickly listing the steps that hopefully will result in Stefan

"Bingo." Lexie nods and looks back at Elena "You ready for that? Won't be pretty"

"I can handle it." Elena nods, almost as if she had to reassure herself.

I'm not sure you can. Hell, I am not sure I can either.

"Wake up, sleepyhead " Lexi kicks Stefan leg "How you feelin'?"

"What is this?" he shrugs against the chains "Let me out of here!"

"Shh." Lexi hushes him " Inside voices, please."

Stefan looks around the room, glares at Lexi intensely, before his eyes switch between you and Elena "Y/N, Elena get rid of her."

You shake your head. He's not going to get out of this one. "Nope, not gonna happen"

"Let's start with step number 1" Lexi steps closer to Stefan.

"This isn't going to work, Lexi." he says firmly " You can't do this."

"Elena," Lexi looks over her shoulder "You heard the not pretty part?"

"I heard you." Elena nods, her voice unnaturally confident. Even her patience must be running thin by now.

Lexi leans in front of Stefan and looks him in the eyes and enters his mind. Stefan growls in pain as his arms start to dessicate. Though looking from the outside everything appears to be fine.

Watching Stefan wither in pain makes your skin crawl. You would love nothing more than to release him. But you can't.

"Let me out, let me out, please let me out!" Stefan yells, the veins in his neck prominent.

Stefan's pleading triggers memories of being locked up in the basement. They creep up from the shallow grave you buried them under - alongside many others.

You remember banging your fists against the door until they were bruised and bloody, repeating those exact same words. What that kept you sane, was Stefan reading whatever book he could find from outside of the metal door. He would stay there until morning, always falling asleep for a few hours before Damon would hurry down and drag him upstairs before your parents awoke. You try to avoid small closed spaces and thick crowds ever since.

Reviving those memories, paired with Stefan's agony, cuts off the air that is supposed to fill your lungs as if a noose has found its way around your neck. The ground seems to shift, and you reach out for the cold stone wall in order to reclaim stability. The cold stones create a comforting contrast to the fire that seems to be spreading from your lungs through your entire body.

Breathe, Y/N...just breathe...you're not in that cellar anymore.

"What's happening?" Elena asks and for a moment there you thought that she is talking to you, but luckily she only refers to Stefan. Having a have weaknesses like this especially as a vampire could pretty much cost your life if someone exploits it . That's why vampires are such good liars. They all have a weakness, even someone as ruthless and powerful as Klaus. The key is to find said weakness, and nothing will hold you back.

You take deep breath in order to slow down your rapid heartbeat and stop the fire spreading through your body. You haven't had a panic attack like this for years, but then again, you avoided spaces and situations like this.

"He's hallucinating." Lexi keeps her eyes on Stefan but takes a few steps back and half-circles him like a lion would their prey "That's three months without any blood. Now he's at 9 months....2 years....5."

You feel another panic wave threatening to overflow you, but this time you manage to gulp it down. At least for now. What the hell is happening?

"Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you're dead?" Stefan glares at her with an intensity of hatred, it is outright scary.

"Aw, I missed you too, friend." Lexi smiles at him, not concerned at all by his words.

_[Time Skip]_

A few minutes go by of Stefan howling in pain and you leaning back on the cold, yet somehow comforting stone walls. Out of the blue, Stefan's groaning grows silent and is replaced with heavy breathing and...sobbing? "Y/N... I'm hurting. Please help me."

"I am helping you, Stef. You can't see it now, but you will." You nod, knowing that it won't get better for a very long time. Maybe even decades. But no matter what, you are prepared to stay by his side, however long it may take.

"I'll do anything. I'll change. I promise, just make it stop." Stefan pleads, his eyes glistening with tears "Please."

The tone of his voice and the terrified look on his face tugs at your heartstrings, so much so that you fear he might tear them "I'm sorry. This is the only way."

His eyes linger on yours for a moment, before he moves on to Elena, trying to play on her feelings as well "Elena. Look at me I love you, okay? I love you. I love you so much."

"I'm sorry Stefan, I just don't believe you." Elena shakes her head.

"You know what? I don't want your help anyway," Stefan glares at her" I wish I never met you. Every single moment I have spent with you has been a complete and total waste."

"You see that? That's the ripper talking. Once he's weak enough, you have to cause him pain. Make him feel things. Anger, rage, anything. You have to make him see past the blood." Lexi explains to Elena, and grabs a stake and shoves it into Stefan's stomach repeatedly "Think of it as a regime. Day in day out. Like running the treadmill. Like making coffee. Until he's ready to be saved."

"I will rip you apart, Lexi!" Stefan yells through gritted teeth.

"You can't. I'm already dead." Lexi fake smiles and drives the stake through his stomach once again.

"I can't." Elena says, almost whimpers runs out of the room. You almost run after her, not because you care about her well-being, but because you would love to disappear as well. Watching your little brother squirm in pain is unbearable.

Lexi looks after her and her eyes stop at your slightly miserable figure "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Hey listen, in case I don't get the chance later, I'm glad you're here." In truth, you admire Lexi for her strength. She was there for Stefan when you weren't and there is nothing you can do to make it up to her.

"It's good you're here too. He needs you, they both do," she says with such self-evident, she almost convinces you. Almost. You are still sure your brothers are better off without you,

"You wasted your whole life taking care of me, and now you're dead and you still have nothing better to do." Stefan interrupts you and Lexi, sweat trickling down his face.

The door upstairs swings open and Elena comes hurrying down the stairs " We're running out of time."

Lexi spins around "You gotta get me more."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." You intervene " Call your friends and tell them to wait. That easy."

"I can't. They have the necklace. They're going to close the door."

"The necklace.." Lexi mutter as a thought crossed her mind and she turns to Stefan yet again "Okay. At least tell me you remember how you feel about that. You found it during your darkest time, and you said when you made it through that that necklace resembles hope."

"Ironic then, that is about to get blown to pieces." Stefan huffs.

_[Time Skip]_

Even Lexi's attempt to remind Stefan of the necklace he gave Elena, failed. And on top of that, she disappeared not soon after, leaving you pretty much back to square one.

Elena left the underground jail cell soon after Lexi disappeared while you went to the boarding house to get a few book, including Stefan's favorite "Call of the wild". Once you gathered all the books, you hurry out the door, something rustling under your feet. There is a letter. With your name on it in a handwriting you would recognize anywhere; Mary-Alice's.

_Dear Y/N,_

_I did not have the courage to step out of the shadows today when I had the chance, partly because you are one of the reasons I am dead.But know that I do not blame you. I never have. I was only yet another casualty of war._

_However, this is not the reason for this letter, but the following is._

_"Daidaemcoonydi.s "_

_Do not underestimate him, Y/N. He must know._

_Good luck,_

_\- Mary Alice_

Mary-Alice decrypted the message with a very familiar code, the same one you used when you send messages to each other. Instead of reading every letter you only read every second one, and once you reach the end you start over as before until you have the final message.

In this case, Mary-Alice send you the following:

_"Diamond is a decoy"_

The words echo in your mind like a pinball trapped in a spiral. It can't be true. If Mary-Alice is right, Klaus must have known the whereabouts of the actual diamond all along. But why didn't he snuff you out like a candle by now? If he knew you were bluffing, god knows what else he keeps hidden. Either way, you have to be very careful.

**Y/N | City Jail**

"Leave me alone." Stefan rolls his eyes once you open the big wooden door.

"Can't do. But hey look what I bought," You grab the book and hold it up. He glances over the cover of his favorite book "Just like old times, huh? The only thing that's missing is Damon almost breaking his neck hurrying down the stairs."

"You got nothing better to do?"

"I do, Stef. I have several Tv shows and books to catch up on. But for some reason, I rather spend my time in a damp old cave with a blood junkie. I wonder why."

"Just stop, Y/N." he shakes his head "Stop trying to relieve your guilt by pretending to care about us. Damon might have forgiven you last night, but I won't." his eyes glare with a level of loathing and hatred you haven't seen in a long time. But the worst part is, he seems to mean every word he is saying, or at least it looks like it "You're the cause of everything we are and you deserve no forgiveness."

He is right. At least with the guilt part. You have been anchored down with guilt since the moment you told your father about the vampires in town. But you are not alone at fault, Katherine and your brothers at least carry half of it. "Blame me as much as you want.. You're not gonna get rid of me. Not again. I'm not the same girl you knew back then if you haven't noticed and I won't let you push me away. No matter what you say."

"Just go, Y/N."

"Fine, we'll do it the old way then." you grab the cold metal door handle and pull the door to a close. Luckily- or better unluckily- your are quite familiar with this situation, even if it was always you behind locked doors. How greatly things have changed.

You sink down on the dirty, cold stone floor. You flip the book open and start to read with Stefan listening carefully from the other side::

_"Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would have known that trouble was brewing, not alone for himself, but for every tidewater dog, strong of muscle and with warm, long hair, from Puget Sound to San Diego......"_


	7. Chapter 07: "Chasing All The Stars"

 

_**[Song for this chapter ](https://youtu.be/u8hPBkibU24) ** _

 

_**What makes a home?**  You have been asking yourself that questions for centuries. Is it the place you're living in? The people? Or is it something that is found in yourself? Or is it only a concept that was invented to feel safe because, without it, one would be swept away like a boat without a harbor?_

_Looking back, the closest you got to feeling truly at home was the short timespan of bliss you had with Kol. Sure, your brothers will always be your brothers and you will always love them, but you never felt at home with them._

_Not even as a kid._

_Somehow you always felt out of place, like you do not actually belong. It was probably because Stefan and Damon tended to stick together whenever they had to pick a side, leaving you alone on the sidelines._

_But with Kol you felt safe, understood and most of all you felt like you belong somewhere._

_Although things didn't seem as clear when he invited you into his home for one of the famous Mikaelson Family gatherings...._

 

**New Orleans 1913**

"You seem unusually happy, considering what we're walking into." You say.

Kol has been whistling and humming all the way to his family's home, visibly excited to attend this gathering. Which is odd because there hasn't been one positive word about his family since you've met.

"Oh, Y/N, with you by my side, how could I possibly be unhappy?" Kol says "Besides, I couldn't let your exceptional dance skills go to waste, could I?"

"You'll never quit with this, will you?" You sigh.

He mimics the same dance moves he witness a few days ago but exaggerates them quite a bit. Or at least that is what you hope. If not, then you made one hell of a fool out of yourself.

He then returns to your side and hooks your arm up to his.

"Never." Kol smirks.

"Perfect. I'll die with you taunting me all night. I'm sure Klaus would love that." You roll your eyes, scaringly aware of the fact that Kol pretty much drags you into the wolf's den tonight. The only thing you hope is that the big bad wolf stays far far away.

"Darling, you don't have to worry." Kol reassures "Nobody will die tonight."

_Let's hope not._

The ground pulsates under your feet as Kol guides you in, due to the strongly played bass and the several feet gliding over the dance floor.

The roofless courtyard is decorated with the finest glass chandeliers, fixed on the upper floors. The light reflects perfectly in your crystal beaded dress and earrings. There is a champagne glass pyramid twice your size near the bar and a swan ice figure next to it.

It's breathtaking.

"Wow," you breathe out "You didn't exaggerate when you said your families party are..well this."

"I told you they like to overdo it a bit."

One of the family servant hurries over from the other side of the room, standing in the way of the both of you.

"Excuse me, your sister wishes to speak with you in the study. Alone." she says.

"Rebekah can wait." Kol replies and walks around her.

"She claims it is urgent." the servant tries again.

Kol breathes out in annoyance and comes to a halt. Of course, his siblings have to disturb him as soon as he crosses the home boundaries.

"Just go, I'll be fine." You reassure him "What could go wrong among all these people?"

His eyes switch between you and the servant, his jaw tense as he contemplates if he should leave you. He is quite aware of the fact that you are more than capable to be on your own, But with his brother around he hesitates.

"Alright." He nods "I will be back soon, ok?"

You nod and smile at him which he returns before he hurries up the stairs.

 

You look around you, suspiciously making your rounds. Klaus should be here somewhere. But where?

The music changes a faster tune, perfect for the recently discovered dance; the foxtrot. The couples that are already on the dance-floor - mainly the woman- jump up with excitement. The people that share the sidelines with you hurry on the dancefloor to join the others.

You look to your left searching the shadows beneath the wooden stairs leading up to the first floor, as a dancing couple loses track of their surroundings. A shoulder brushes yours followed be the backside of the dancing woman.

You jump at the contact, making your way back to the stairs to get out of the crowd. As fun as dancing seems, in a tight space like this it seems not at all like that.

Once you reach the top of the stairs, you walk all the way to the back avoiding the chattering crowds. You halt right next to the stairs where Kol should come down any minute.

"You look quite out of place." A man steps out of the dimly lit upper floor, surprising you with the sudden noise

He has a drink in his hand, his hair gelled back in a fashionable manner. He wears a smirk on his lips that spurs some familiarity in you but you can't quite put the finger on it. Maybe you have seen him somewhere before?

"I am not really fond of crowds." You admit, the sheer thought of being among the people dancing, in that tight space makes your heart beat like a jackhammer. You can thank your father questionable parenting for that. "Especially if the crowd happens to be in a pompous environment like this. I feel like a servant here."

"Nonsense. You are quite suitable for this environment. But it's rather extravagant, isn't it?" The stranger chuckles, his dark shaded blue eyes gliding over the Swan ice statue and the mountains of champagne glasses.

"It's the ice figure in particular. Is it really necessary? It is only frozen water." Your eyes roam the artfully crafted figure "However, the craftsmanship does look nice."

"Why, thank you."

"You..You made that?" He nods, his head hanging a little low as if he's hiding a blush. "Impressive."

The stranger smiles again, his eyes shift to something behind hind you on the upper floor. The upturned edges of his smile lower a bit almost transforming into a smirk as he takes a step closer to you.

"He seems rather fond of you, you know?" Blue Eye states.

"You mean Kol?"

He nods again. "A word of caution, Kol tends to get bored quite easily, so don't be weary if he moves on rather quickly."He

"No offense, but that's not any of your business."

_Who is he to question Kol's intention, let alone...whatever kind of relationship you have with him?_

"Heed my warning, Y/N." He says and takes a sip of his drink, the liquid illuminating with the changing light.

"How do you-"

"News travel fast, love." he smirks "I knew who you were from the moment you walked into this humble abode"

_God, how smug can one man be?_

"Brother, how wonderful of you to join us!" Blue Eye says looking over your shoulder. "Y/N and I had a lovely chat, did we not?"

_Brother?! No... Please please PLEASE let it be Elijah. Not Klaus._

Kol holds his brothers stare and takes step after step, while you're busy having a panic attack in your mind.

"Nik." He nods.

_Crap._

His name hits you like the heat on a hot summer day; brutal and all at once. You've been chatting with Klaus, Kol's brother who he swore to subdue.

The stranger now identified as your opponent smiles as the obvious flash of shock rushes over you. He takes a sip of his drink, keeping the annoying smile on his lips while doing so. Kol seems to notice as well, and takes your hand into his, intertwining his fingers with yours.

Klaus takes a sip out looks at your joined hands and then back to you and Kol as you share a quick glance.

"It was lovely to finally meet you, Y/N. I am sure our paths will cross again. In more ways than one." He smirks and turns his back.

Kols skin seems to be set aflame as the heat radiates from his fingers. You look at him, his jaw visibly tense as his eyes remain on Klaus.

"Oh, and brother," Klaus turns around " If you happen to search for Rebekah, she is running late as always."

 

Kol grip tightens at his brother's words. He knew that he shouldn't have left you alone. But of course, his brother found a way to get close to you.

"Come on." he says, following his brother up the stairs, but taking the opposite direction up to the balcony on the upper floor.

Once reached, you're startled. From up there the lid up houses look like a thousand miles of fire. The twinkling stars and the crescent moon in the night sky seem so close you could chase after them.

"It's beautiful up here." You gasp.

"I thought you might like here." Kol smiles.

The music from downstairs reached through the open doors. The song ends and a fairly new,

Kol playfully bows down offering his hand to you "May I have this dance, Y/N?"

He obviously tries to cover up the fact that Klaus got way too close tonight.

You reach for his hand and he carefully places it on his shoulder, while he intertwines the other with his. You sway with the slow song, the tension from your encounter with the self-proclaimed king of the castle melting away.

Kol, on the other hand, is tense as ever.

"Hey, you can lighten up, " you chuckle, trying to bring back his fabulous mood he carried around before your encounter "Nothing happened."

"What did he say to you?" Kol asks, his jaw visibly tense "My brother?"

"Nothing important."

"Y/N."

"Fine. " You sigh "He claims you'll lose interest in me soon enough and I shouldn't get too attached."

"I might have done so in the past, but I wouldn't do that to you." Kol shakes his head "But I presume that doesn't matter, does it? My reputation proceeds me."

He looks away, grinding his teeth together as you sway away to the music.

"Hey, I believe you. I will always believe you over him." you reassure him "And I am not going anywhere, okay?"

The corner of his mouth turns up a bright smile, his eyes tracing over your face for several moments.

"What?" You chuckle "Is there something on my face?"

He shakes his head no."You're a miracle, Y/N Salvatore. What did I do to deserve your company?"

His eyes flicker to your red painted lips and your eyes, the urge to kiss you rising up stronger than ever before.He's tired of burying his feelings under his own architectured safety procedures. He can't stand it any longer.

So, he leans in. ..Slowly and hesitant.

The music seems louder with every inch his lips decrease the distance between yours and his.

When his lips finally touch yours everything goes quiet, like the moment of silence between lightning and thunder. The kiss steals your breath as well as your sense of time. It is just a small, first kiss but it feels as if time stands still.

When you pull away, you breathe heavily, his hand now gently wrapped around the back of your neck and yours on his shoulders. In that moment neither of you breathe, neither of you move. You look at each other, your heart beats overshadowing the illusioned silence.

Thump.

thump.

thump.

thump.

And he closes the space between you once again. And again. And again.

Hungrier and fiercer.

Kols brows are furrowed as he dives deep into every feeling he denied himself. You feel weak in the knees as Kol's lips on yours show you that every other kiss you had up to this point has been wrong.

But this.....this feels nothing but right.

Your lips part as slowly and with as much hesitance as they met the first time. Kol rests his forehead against yours the brightest of smiles on his lips.

"I'll be damned if you're not the best thing that has happened to me in centuries," Kol says.

You smile back at him, your heart still beating out of your chest and your eyes brighter than the stars in the sky... You lean up to kiss him another time, before you rest your head on his shoulders, dancing the night away with the sound his heart beating in your ears.........

_It seems that tonight the question you have always asked yourself has been answered; One can easily find their home in a person, rather than a place._

_And it seems not only you have found said home, even Kol found it in the place he always suspected but never dared to dream it to be. Next to **you.**_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It finally happened!! A flashback chapter AND their first kiss!! Yay! Honestly, I re-wrote the kissing scene a lot of times and I don't know if I made it worse or better with it. Anyway, I desperately need feedback in this particular chapter. Was there something you particularly liked/disliked etc.
> 
> Also, there is a link to a song that I imagine Kol and the reader could have listened to while dancing. If you haven't already, try to listen to it with the song ( i'ts linked above)
> 
> P.S: It's me from the future!! This one is still my personal favorite (even though I am quite a few chapters ahead)


	8. Chapter 08: "Look Alive, Stay Alive"

 

**Mystic Falls 1856**

The wildflowers bloomed heavily in the summer of 1856. Their bright colors more intense than usual as they accompanied the green blades of grass. The air was laced with their scent, haunting your young soul that year, so shortly after your mother's passing. But beneath this pain, there was a comfort in witnessing their blooming, almost as if she's still here, greeting you with her favorite flowers.

You've been crying all day, amidst the thousands of flowers, perfectly hidden behind an oak tree. Your brothers had been gone since first light this morning, taking a trip to visit a distant uncle.

It was Damon's idea to get Stefan out of the house, enjoying quality time with his little brother that had just turned eleven years old a few days prior to your mother's death.

Unfortunately, even though you are one year older than Stefan, Damon had not even thought about asking if you wanted to join them. It has been like this ever since you can remember.

The setting sun neared its disappearing level as the distinctive smell of burning wood carries over the oak tree. You sniffed the air again, the smell so intense it alerted your survival instincts. You rose to your feet, your head turned to your home. The old barn in the distance was set aflame, mirroring the burning warm colors of the dawning sun, the dark smoke rising in the sky.

You started running as fast as your feet carried you, the hem of your dress dipped in filth as it rushed over the floor. You coughed once the barn was near, a man-shaped figure standing in front of it, a torch in his hand. He turned slightly, as the sound of your footsteps carried over to him.

It was Damon.

"What happened?!" You asked him in-between coughs, your lung already heavily coated with smoke.

"I thought it was father in there, and I..I wanted rid of him," Damon replied, voice shaking while the rest of his body was frozen in place," but Stefan.."

"What about Stefan?" Damon gulps and gestures to the burning barn. Your heart drops to your feet as the realization kicked in that your little brother ran into a burning building, hoping to be a hero and save his father.

You had to get him out of there.

You tucked at one of your sleeves and covered your mouth with the ripped material. It wasn't thick enough to absorb all of the smoke-laced air, but time had been of the essence. You could not have afforded to waste anymore.

"Go get water from the well! Now!" Your voice was filled with fear and the urge to protect Stefan, and just a hint of guilt you weren't here to prevent this.

The fire had already consumed most of the inner structure, including the big beams that carried the roof. Only the far right corner had been almost untouched by the fire. You rounded the building and peeked through an intact wooden window.

"Stef?!" You called out, your voice slightly muffled by the textile over your mouth. There was no response. "Where are you?" You heart thundered in your chest, full of fear and worry. You couldn't lose your brother too. Not after your mother was already taken from you.

The window was easily climbed, including the wooden splinters that drilled into your skin just as easily. You looked around, the burning orange color as well as the smoke limiting your view.

Footsteps were heard from behind and Damon hurried over with a bucket of water in his hand. You grabbed it through the window-opening and emptied it next to you, stopping the creeping fire from continuing.

"Go get more!" You pushed the bucket against Damon's chest, the faint sound of whimpering reaching through the fire's crackling.

Stefan was crouching in the corner, his head covered with his arms. He was crying.

"Stef!" You called out and hurried over the nearly untouched flooring. Stefan looked up once he felt your presence, tears streamed down his face.

Once you reached him, he threw his arms around and held you close, his body shaking with fear. "Hey it's okay, Stef I'll get you out of here." You helped him rose to his feet and handed him your cloth, his other hand held tightly onto yours.

You looked down the path you took to reach Stefan, just in time to avoid a falling beam the fire had consumed. It landed in front of you, blocking your exit.

You looked around, desperately searching for another escape.

"The d-door... "Stefan gestured to the bolted door behind you in between coughs.

The door was closed off with a metal bolt that reflected the warming red of the flames, catching your eye every now and then. You carefully tipped your finger against it and the heat instantly stung your skin.

You had to get that door open, with whatever means necessary,

"Stay back!" You told Stefan and he hid behind you, holding onto your dress.

You took a deep smoke-laced breath and counted to three before you grabbed the bolt with your hand. The hot metal bolt sizzled in your hand and burned the delicate flesh. Through gritted teeth you screamed out in pain, the bolt moving, but barely.

The air was getting smokier and smokier by the second, soon, either the fire or the smoke would have consumed you.

Another heavy tug and the hot bolt released the big wooden doors. You pushed them open with relief, the cold night air brushing over your heated skin.

Stefan, still holding onto your dress collapses on the ground once you put distance between the burning shed, heaving and coughing, but then nothing. He doesn't move and lies still on his back.

"Stefan?!" You cry out, kneeling on the ground. Stefan blinks, his eyes coated with tears staring up at the night sky. "Are you alright?" He nods faintly, his breathing evening out slowly but surely.

Footsteps were heard from behind you looked over your shoulder to see Damon running down the hill. You stood up and headed in his direction.

"What were you thinking?!" You pushed Damon back with your hands, the burned part of your skin already formed blisters "He could have died in there!!

"I didn't know he would run in!" Damon argued and held your hands down to stop the continuous hammering of your fists.

"And? You cannot set the shed on fire in hope to get rid of father, expecting Stefan not to run after him! He's eleven years old and nearly burned alive in there. And so did I!"

"I... I'm-"

"Forget your apology. Look at him. He's not even speaking." Damon's eyes glance at his little brother lying there in shock "Don't you ever put him in this kind of danger again or I swear you'll live to regret it."

Damon swallows, the guilt heavily in his throat as you walked away. the burning in your hand nothing compared to the burning anger in your heart...

**Mystic Falls | Present Time**

The remaining wildflowers sprawled along the pathway to the Lockwood mansion sway in the wind, sparking memories of a time and people that were lost long ago. Yourself and your brothers included.

A few days have passed since you watched over Stefan in that cellar, and as usual, nothing went as planned. Damon thought it would be a good idea to go on a bender with Stefan. He went "off book" as he called it. And as it has always been, he did not take you with them. Instead, he shot you full of vervain and took off.

Right at this moment, however, Damon seems to plan another one of his plans with Matt and Elena, that'll either end in death, despair or destruction.

"Well well well. Look at this cozy gathering." You step into the open space right next to Matt and Elena, keeping your eyes on your brother "Thank you for bringing me along to your sibling bonding by the way."

"Y/N..." Damon sighs, but you raise your hand to stop him from continuing. 

You don't need to hear another set of his excuses. You know by now that even though you are siblings, you're never invited into their inner circle.

_You most likely never will. And that hurts._

"Save it. You're up to something. What is it?" Damon evades looking into your eyes, as well as everyone else. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know "Jesus Christ. You're not actually trying to snuff Klaus, are you?"

"You want to help instead of criticizing?" the doppelganger intervenes "Distract him."

"Why me? I think he would be much more interested in you, Elena. Or should I say Katherine?" Matt next to you releases a surprised huff, while the doppelganger now revealed as Katherine only exchanges a look with Damon "I can smell the sickening stench of your perfume from a mile away. If I can figure it out, you can bet your ass Klaus will too."

"Just do it, Y/N." Damon breathes out in annoyance, the tone of his voice already stoking your fire.

_Now he's ordering you around again. Fantastic._

The others exchange a nod and split up, Matt enters the mansion with the disguised Katherine while Damon remains behind.

"How many times do I have to save your ass to be worthy of your trust?" You ask him, your face stellar, your jaw clenched.

"It's not me," Damon replies, the look on his face unchanged as his eyes roam the passing crowd.

"So it's them, huh? I forgot, they are your priorities now."

"What's going on with you today?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe I thought we're finally getting along but here you are planning a suicide mission behind my back." You cross your arms in front of your chest "Tell me why do you always have to leave me in the dark time and time? It's like the day in the barn, you execute a plan and put every single person but yourself in danger. Just think once before doing anything. Once, Damon."

"You done?" he asks, visibly annoyed with your rant.

"No." You shake your head before your fist collides with his jawö "Now I am. Don't ever put Stefan in harm's way again, you hear me? Pick me next time."

" I see you haven't lost your strong arm."

You storm off, leaving Damon behind with a bloody nose and blood splatter on his stupidly expensive suit.

The crowd was already dancing as you reach the edge of the slightly elevated hummock, searching for the last person on earth you'd want to spend time with.

You scan the crowd several times over, even going as far to use your vampire hearing, but nothing.

_Where's that little bastard?_

"You look quite out of place," Klaus speaks out from behind, uttering the same exact words he said when you first met, over a hundred years ago.

_Ah, there he is._

"Leave me alone." You respond, keeping your eyes on the dancing crowd.

"You're spite is amusing as ever, Y/N. A decade ago you've seemed rather fond of me. Now you only resort to shooting daggers with those fierce eyes of yours. How very unfortunate." Klaus replies as he circles you like a lion waiting for his prey.

He's trying to make you nervous, and oddly enough it seems to be working.

"I think daggers are more your department, wouldn't you say?"

"Indeed, indeed." he laughs brushing over his slightly bearded jaw. He then moves to the side offering his hand with a playful bow "Dance with me."

"Good joke." You snicker at his words and turn to look at his still upturned smile "Wait you're serious?" He nods and offers his hand once more "I don't know what your sudden obsession with me is, but I would rather put a campfire out with my face than dance with you."

Klaus forcefully grabs your wrist and leads you to the dancefloor. "I fear there is no time for negotiations."

"Wow, the ladies must really love you. You're such a gentleman." You roll your eyes at him as he pulls you close and starts dancing to the slow music.

"Oh, Y/N, you would be surprised how much of a gentleman I can be." He smirks and gives a nod to the DJ.

"If this your subtle way to call for your henchmen, I suggest you're a little less obvious next time."

"Nonsense. I don't need no henchman." Klaus huffs and nods again and the DJ turns up the volume on a very familiar song "I would never deny myself the pleasure of holding your very heart in my hands that beats so strong for my dear brother."

The first tunes carry themselves through the night air falling utterly unnoticed by the couples surrounding you and your nemesis. But while they fall deaf on the guest's ears, they do stir up memories in yours; It is the same song you and Kol danced for the first time.

Memories of this night cloud your mind, the dull ache in your heart reminding you how much you still miss him after all these years. How many memories he wasn't a part of and how many times you lie awake at night with only loneliness as your companion. It is similar to the way you always felt when you were a child.

Klaus' eyes roam your face eager to witness you fall apart, to see how he poisons your memories by recreating them with himself. But you are not going to give him that satisfaction.

"You know this is getting really old." You look at him, a fake look of confident plastered on your face." If you want to kill me just get it over with." Klaus eyebrows faintly rise at your words, "I'm really tired of this."

"But we're only getting to the interesting bit." His smile grows, the satisfaction seemingly radiate through the pores of his skin "I recall you have fond memories of this particular song."

"You think you're gonna break me with a little song, huh? Guess again."

"On the contrary, love, I believe I already have." He puckers his lips to a crooked smile, the satisfaction of his taunt seemingly radiating through the pores of his skin. " Now to another matter; People have been after me for 1000 years. And I am always one step ahead. So whatever it is you and your brothers are thinking of trying, go for it, give it your best shot. You won't succeed."

"I don't know what you're talking about. My brothers don't really involve me in their plans if you haven't noticed." You reply. It's true. They never involved you in their plans in the past, especially Damon.

"Oh, I did notice. Still, you'd be smart to tell Damon to mind his manners tonight, because if I die, I've already ensured that Stefan and your precious boyfriend will die along with me. Even in death, my hybrids have their orders. So.. you kill me you're killing them too."

Everybody knew that Klaus was reckless and would stop at nothing to get what he wants but you never imagined he would actually threaten to kill his own brother. And yours too. You have to stop him, by whatever means necessary.

You look over Klaus's shoulder, one of his hybrids giving you the evil eye "Looks like one of your lapdogs wants your attention."

"Ah, Tony." Klaus looks over his shoulder and releases you hand "If you would excuse me, Y/N." He flashes his disgustingly charismatic smile and walks off.

You breathe out before forcefully grabbing a drink from a silver platter that a waiter carries around. You look over to the elevated parts of the property, locking eyes with Stefan.

_Well shit._

He probably heard your conversation with Klaus. What if he sends you away again like he did before?

"Stef..."

"Is it true what he says?" He asks, his face without any readable emotion whatsoever.

"I...uh," You start, not exactly knowing how to explain to him that out of all people on this earth you fell in love with Klaus' brother.

"He'd really kill his brother if Damon screws up?"

_The hell? It seems he did not overhear your conversation. Or is he simply not saying anything?_

"You know what we have to do, right?" Stefan nods, knowing that in order to save him and pretty much every single one of you, you would have to protect the very monster you seek to destroy. " We have one problem though. I'm not invited in."

"But I am." Stefan sighs and you share a look before hurrying over to the front entrance.

You arrive just in time to see Damon tackling Klaus, holding a white oak stake in his hands. You scan the room quickly, your breath caught in your throat as a familiar face stares at the happenings in front of him. Mikael Mikaelson, the vampire hunter. What the hell is he doing here?

Meanwhile, Damon has Klaus pinned down on the floor, the white oak stake hovering over his heart. One push and he would be dead soon enough. But so would Stefan. And Kol. You push against the invisible wall, trying to get through but to no avail.

Damon brings the stake down further, the tip already scraping Klaus'shirt, before Stefan speeds in, pushing him off on the side, the white oak stake dropping on the floor next to Klaus. He seizes the moment and grabs it, burying it in Mikael's heart in an instant as he tackles him.

Mikael starts screaming and goes up in flames, destroying the white oak with him, before falling silent.

"What the hell did you do?!" Damon yells at his little brother, propping himself up on his elbow on the cold stone floor.

"He earned his freedom," Klaus answers for him, and reaches for Stefan's hand, helping him up. He reaches behind his neck and looks into his eyes, his pupils dilating "Thank you, my friend. You no longer have to do as I say. You're free."

Stefan stumbles back, seeking support from the wall behind him.

You stay behind for another set of seconds before you take off running, defeated once again. You reach the parking lot in a matter of seconds, spotting Stefan's red Porsche in the number of parked cars.

As soon as the car door snaps shut, your mask of confidence falls off simultaneously. The stirred up memories, as well as the life-sucking presence of Katherine and Klaus and the usual draining of a social gathering too much for you.

Through tears of anger, you punch the dashboard, furious with how things went today. You let Klaus get to you and as usual, he won. And Kol keeps suffering in his coffin. As do his siblings.

Like a lightning going off without warning, a thought crosses your mind. You took a few percussions while Damon went on his bender with Stefan. They would come in more than handy at the moment. and since Klaus is more than preoccupied now would be the perfect time to strike. Finally, you could be one step ahead of Klaus.

You turn the key to start the ignition and put the stick in the bottom gear. and slowly start to push your feet down on the gas pedal. You look over to the Lockwood entrance where a visibly exhausted Stefan hurries outside.

You bring the car to a stop right in front of his feet "Get in."

Stefan leans on his car and drugs his head slightly into the open window " That's my car, Y/N."

"I know. Get in!" You wave him over and he sighs but obliges and sits down next to you. "By the way, you should really lock your doors. It's not the 1920's"

_Sadly so._

"Where are we going?"

"We're gonna do what we do best. Get revenge." You turn the radio up, Stefan's Bon Jovi mixtape now blasting through the open windows as you step on the gas pedal, speeding away, only the car tracks leaving evidence of your presence....


	9. Chapter 09: "Fury Rising"

 Samuel Johnson once wrote "Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged."

But revenge is not always solely passionate, most times it is acted out of desperation. The need to avenge wrongdoings with the most primal thought in mind; An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, blood must have blood - whatever you prefer to call it- with no other alternative in near sight.

People would argue that forgiveness, the common ground for the combat between past grievances and future healing, is the noble high ground, and while that might be true, one, you have never considered yourself as particularly noble and second, in your experience the taste of revenge, however fleeting it is, is undeniably sweet.

And lucky for you, forgiveness is the last thing on your mind...

 

 

"Open up you wooden piece of shit!" You clutch the axe in your hand before bringing it down, the blade ever so barely stopping right before it would scratch the coffin's surface."FUCK!!"

"Are you done?" Stefan asks, leaning against the cold stone wall.

It has been two days since you and Stefan snatched Klaus precious coffins he had been driving around in his very suspicious white van.

It's safe to say that you have never been this close to one, playing Klaus like a puppet and second, to Kol.

But like everything in your life, something has to get in your way. For whatever reason, the coffins are spelled shut, and there is no way to open them.

Which does not mean you won't try your hardest.

"Does it look like I'm done?"

"Kind of."

"You know, I don't even understand why these witches decided to screw with me anyway. I was an ally to their kind back in the day." You bring the axe down once again, hoping that your persistence would make a difference, when clearly, it won't "Where's your loyalty now, huh?"

Even Bonnie, your newly made ally, tried to get it open when she showed up after her dreams led her to the burned down house.Whatever is going on, witchy dreams are never a good sign.

At all.

"You and witches? You hate witches."Stefan asks surprised, the sheer thought of you working with witches hard to grasp. You always seemed unsympathetic towards them. Or so he thought.

"I don't hate witches. I just hate what they can do to me. Especially the aneurysm. Ouch." You remember the first time a witch gave you an aneurysm, it felt like your head was about to explode like fireworks. And not the good kind. "But I do have to say, I like Bonnie. She hates Klaus almost as much as we do. I like that in a person."

You decide to give the axe one more try. You bring it over your shoulder, ready to break this coffin in half if you have to. You swing the axe down for the millionth time but as expected, it didn't hit the surface.

"I give up." You throw the axe aside and let yourself fall on the floor, your back resting against the wall next to Kol's coffin.

Stefan joins you on the cold floor, his jacket scratching against the textured stone wall. "Tell me about him," he says glancing over at the coffin.

"About who?"

"Your boyfriend. Klaus brother."

And there it is. You knew he must've eavesdropped.

"So you did hear my conversation with Klaus. Why didn't you say anything? You ask.

You knew Klaus didn't just start talking about Kol just for the fun of it. He must've seen

"I don't know. Busy saving my buddy Klaus I guess." He jokes.

To other people I might seem like his forced flipped switch is done and dealt with, but if your family is known for something is definitely to bury feelings under any form of wit.

"Ugh, don't remind me." You roll your eyes, the thought of the epic failure that was supposed to be Klaus downfall makes you want to dig a hole and never come out. "Look, I know how this must look for you, but Kol is different. He's no-"

"Is that his name? Kol?" You nod "Do you know who the others are?" Stefan asks. He has been wondering who he's been carrying around.

"These two are either Elijah or Finn. Only this one, I don't know who that is." You say pointing to the coffin It's true you don't have the slightest idea who might be in that coffin. Perhaps its the spare coffin for Rebekah?

"How can you tell who is who?"

"I'm not sure with Elijah or Finn. But with Kol...I just feel it."

"You...feel it?" he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He must think you've gone completely mad.

"Never underestimate the intuition of a woman, Stef." You joke, earning the most exaggerated eye roll from your little brother. "Look, I know it sounds impossible to love anyone close to Klaus after everything he has put you through. But Kol hates Klaus as much as you do. Maybe more. No, definitely more. And I love him, Stefan. I really do."

"So he's the reason you came back? Because Klaus has him?" He asks, his gaze evading yours by fumbling with his daylight ring.

For a fleeting glimpse there, young and vulnerable Stefan seeped through the cracks of his mask of bloodshed and vengeance. He must be worried that he's just a stepping stone to get Kol back. But of course, that's not true. You are glad you get to spend time with him after all these years. Even under these circumstances.

"Yes and no. he's a very big factor as well, but you were and will always be my number one priority. If I had to run into a burning building to drag you out I'd do it. Again." You say, the memories of that incident still so fresh in your memory as if they happened yesterday.

"But while we're on the topic of me coming back to this god awful town, there is something you should know about that involves Elena and you're probably gonna hate me fo-" You stop midsentence, as two very familiar voices reach your ears. You always use your vampire hearing once in a while just to be safe of anyone that might be coming for you "Oh Jesus Christ."

"What?"

You gesture to your ears and then upstairs, the chattering of Damon accompanied by Elena as they approach the ruins, reaching Stefan's ears. He looks at the coffins, the moment he lays eyes on them they disappear. These witches think fast.

Stefan?" Elena approaches the dark room with caution. Damon had to wait outside because the witch spirits resting in this house hate his guts and screwed with his daylight ring. Honestly, you can't blame them.

"Buh!" You whisper in her ear. Even a blood-sucking monster has to have fun, right?

"Y/N?! She jumps back in shock "What are you-" Elena begins, but Stefan's dramatic appearing from the shadows startles her.

"Elena, go away, you shouldn't be here," Stefan tells her, his voice indifferent and cold.

"Stefan, I need your help." She says, her voice shaking with worry and anticipation "Bonnie said that you would be here."

"Well, Bonnie sucks at keeping secrets," Stefan replies.

"Listen, you two need to give Klaus his family back."

"Oh, really? Is that what we need to do?" You scoff. There is no chance you will let any of these coffins out of your sight again. Not until you know how to open them.

"Klaus compelled Jeremy to stand in front of a speeding car!" Elena argues.

"I don't really see how that involves us." You shrug.

While you understand the need to protect your little brother, if Klaus resorts to such methods he is beyond desperate.

"Don't you get it?"You shrug again "Stefan, he's not gonna stop until he gets what he wants."

"Elena, stop talking." He rolls his eyes and you chuckle at his annoyed undertone he developed ever since Elena entered the room. "I'm not giving Klaus anything." He shakes his head.

It must be hard for her to acknowledge the fact that even though Stefan flips his switch, and you're certain he did after Klaus set him free, he is not running back to her immediately.

"Are you listening to me? He's gonna kill Jeremy!"

"Not really my problem." Stefan shrugs his shoulders.

Elena raises her hand and slaps Stefan with all the force her mortal being possesses.

Interesting. There is some fire in her after all. Who would've thought?

"And you can go to hell!! She yells at Stefan, then turns to you "Both of you." she says on her way out.

"Already there, Elena. Already there." You mutter, not caring if she even hears it or not.

You and Stefan only have the chance to share a look before Damon rushes through the house, his skin sizzling like bacon in a pan.

"Wow! That was impressive." Stefan says in a sarcastic tone, almost sneering "But the coffins aren't here, so...You can go away now."

"I don't care about the coffins." Damon winced as his skin heals from the sunburns."We need to talk."

"Okay, let's talk." You lean against the wall to your right "Tough, If you prefer a punch in the face again, let me know."

"Nothing's ever easy with you two, is it?" Damon says before he attacks Stefan, vamp speeding him out of the house, so he doesn't have to watch out for the light shining through the windows.

You hurry after them, pushing Damon off of Stefan when he tries to hurt him with a wooden stake. Instead he plunges it in your chest, several inches away from your heart. Of course, he's not trying to kill you, just to hurt you.

Stefan punches him in the face as retaliation, but Damon is quicker and stakes him in the stomach with a tree branch.

Perhaps Stefan even wants him to let out his anger Damon has every right to be angry. From his point of view, Stefan blew the only chance of getting rid of Klaus. However, he doesn't know the whole story.

"That is for screwing up my plan! You stop me from killing Klaus and you steal his family! Why?? Doesn't make sense!" He yells and twists the branch and Stefan groans in pain. "Answer me!!"

"Stop it!!!!" You throw the piece of wood you retracted from your chest into Damon's shoulder before pushing him off of your little brother.

You wrap your hand around the branch and pull it out of Stefan's chest with one tug.

"Piece by piece Klaus took everything from me." Stefan groans as you reach for his hand to pull him to his feet. "I'm doing the same to him. We both are."

"But I had him, Stefan!" Damon snaps, pointing an accusing finger at Stefan "Why did you screw it up?"

"He did it to save you, you dumbass!!" You yell at him.

"What??" Damon freezes, the sickening feeling of realization settling within his bones "No. No way! You didn't do this for me."

"He was one step ahead of us." Stefan explains "If Klaus died, his hybrids would have killed you."

"When are you going to get it through your head? Stop saving me!!" He yells at him and walks back to the house, his shoulder purposely colliding with yours.

But then he stops.

"Do you know what I can't figure out? Why steal the coffins?" He asks and faces both of you again.

"Even if it doesn't seem like it, Klaus' siblings are a weak point we can exploit and use against him." You tell him.

"Use against him to do what? You're not gonna kill him, you know how I know? 'Cause there was only one way to kill him and you blew that to save me."

"You're wrong Damon." Stefan shakes his head, reflecting Damon's usual denial "Klaus doesn't just get to live forever. There's another way. There has to be."

There is. Two ways actually, one deadly one non-fatal but equally painful. But telling them isnßt an option. They would use the same weapon to get rid off all of them.

You can't let that happen.

No, you won't let that happen. Even if it means you have to lie to them. Again.

"Fair enough." Damon nods "But whatever you two are doing, I want in."

"We don't need your help." You shake your head. Planning anything with Damon most likely ends in a disaster. History speaks for itself.

"Really? Last time I checked you're hiding in a haunted house." He argues and cocks his head towards the burned ruins.

"So? We like spirits. And not only the alcoholic kind." You

"You're going after Klaus; Y/N." Damon needles reminds you, as if you didn't know that already. "You have to be cutthroat and devious. I'm so much better at that than you two."

Oh if you only knew, brother. If you only knew...

"Come on." Damon continues "What do you say? If you're gonna keep saving my life at least make it for a good reason."

"You want in?"

"Yeah."

Stefan looks at you, waiting for your reaction. Having Damon on board would certainly be easier as facing his fury, but there is also the risk of Damon being....well Damon.

"Okay, fine." You sigh "But it's just us three. Your precious Elena stays out of it, alright? Completely. If this is going to work we have to stick together. No matter what happened or will happen. This is the only advantage we have on Klaus. We can't let anyone screw it up." You look at both of them and while Stefan nods, Damon rolls his eyes. How typical "No matter the consequences"

"Fine. Whatever, it's a deal." Damon sighs, his foot impatiently tapping on the floor.

"Good." You nod your head; "Follow us."

"Wait. I'm not so...welcome in there."

"Don't you worry Damon. We all want the same thing.

You and Stefan lead him to the bad lid and dusty room and Damon follows close behind eager to know where you might have hidden the coffins.

"Have a look." Stefan gestures to the empty room.

"What? Klaus is allergic to dust?" Damon jokes and looks at Stefan with a questioning look on his face.

"Hm...Look again." You tell him and he promptly does as you ask, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

"Witch spirits hate Klaus as much as we do. They're using their powers to hide the coffins." Stefan explains.

"So even if he comes in the house..."

" ...he won't be able to find them." Stefan finishes his sentence and Damon smiles, enjoying this hide and seek already.

While Damon ran back to bring Elena the news of his epic misjudgement, Stefan decided to dig deep into the lore, trying to find a way to open the locked coffins. And you, well....you don't want to let the coffins out of your sight. Especially, of course, the one with Kol in it.

He has been lost for decades upon decades and now he's so close, so undeniably close with only a wooden barrier separating you.

 

You close your eyes for a mere moment, perhaps for a breath or two, leaning on the coffin supports. The air suddenly feels heavier as questions upon questions fill your head, the silence forcing them out of the shadows.

Why would the witches close the coffins? Will working with Damon work? Will they forgive you if they found out what you did? Will you ever see Kol again'?

But when you open your eyes again, instead of the pale, rigged surroundings, a different view lies before you. A beautiful night sky stretches itself above your head, the stars twinkling in shining as bright as they can while a street parade strolls through the streets, the music filling the silent night air.

You don't have to turn around to know where you are. How could you ever forget this night? But how the hell did you get to New Orleans, on the same rooftop of the Mikaelson house? Is this a dream?

You smile as the song you and Kol danced to start playing on the old Grammophon. You breathe in the feeling of tranquillity and wholesomeness spreading throughout your body.

This has always been your happy place. No matter what your immortal life threw at you, you always had this memory to come back to. And being here in person, or whatever this is, couldn't be more perfect.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Your heart jumps at the familiar voice, you can feel it hammering in your chest. This great pounding, this great pressure, every beat now magnified.

Could it be....

You turn around and your heart now completely sinking to your knees, your eyes fixated on the person in front of you.

"Kol?"

 

\--------------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well isn't this a mean cliffhanger ;) Sorry not sorry.


	10. Chapter 10: "This could be Heaven, this could be Hell"

 

God, you're so beautiful." The sound of his voice is still like you remember, the softness hidden behind his usual sharp edges, remained the same even after decades apart.

You take off running in an instant, the craving of his touch and his smell, his entire being too strong to resist any longer. You've been parted for way too long, every hairs-width too much distance.

You remember the feeling of his arms around you, his hand behind your head, pressing you as close as possible, every inch too far from you.

But instead, when you should be able to recollect the feeling you've been longing for so long, you run through him as if he's nothing more than a swift breeze, barely touching your skin.

You turn around startled as to what has happened, just in time to see the particles that make up Kol's shell shifting back into place, as if you clicked reverse on a video of glass breaking.

It's undeniably beautiful, but heartrending.

"Dammit." Your back hits the wall, and you sink on the floor, defeated by your own expectation and by whatever force brought you here.

For a moment you actually thought you could run into his arms, and every broken piece of your heart would heal itself. But this is just a dream.

It must be.

Right?

Then again, the veil between what's real and what is not is thinner as one would think.

"Hey, look at me." Kol kneels in front of you, his eyes glued to your face, a faint smile on his lips. "This will be real again. I'm sure of it."

There is a moment of silence as the night plays its song of serenity and tranquillity, your head spinning with questions upon questions.

"Kol, I- " There are so many things you want to tell him but somehow you fall silent, because the feeling of just seeing him again, real or not, is nothing you could describe with words.

"I know,. I know."He doesn't need any spoken words to know what you wanted to say "But we're here now. Together. "

"Is this even real?"

"Doesn't matter. I take this, being here with you over the alternative any day. Without, there is nothing but darkness." He swallows, his head hanging low as the seemingly everlasting nothingness creeps up from recent memories, "Like a black hole without end." Broken and low, his words are hushed whispers, barely audible, but you understood all the same.

Your heart aches at this sight, you so desperately want to pull him close and reassure him that you won't leave him stranded in whatever this is, but you can't. You don't know how long you'll be able to stay here anyway.

"Then suddenly I was here, alone at first." Kol continues "Then you showed up. My beacon in the dark."

You smile at him with blurred vision, your lip trembling as you try to keep your tears at bay.

Kol reaches out and places his hand on top of yours, fully aware that you can't feel his touch. But the gesture is all that matters.

"Look, before whatever this ends, I have to ask you something." You start, seizing the moment of having him in your presence to solve the problem you're facing in the real world. The locked coffins. "Stefan and I retrieved Klaus coffins, but they are locked. Your, Finns and another one. Do you have any idea how to open them?

"They are locked?"

"It seems like there is some kind of magic involved that spells them shut. There's no way to open them. Believe me; I tried everything, even an axe. Is there any chance you know how to get rid of that spell?"

He contemplates for a second, eyes shifting on the ground. "No. I'm sorry." He shakes his head.

A loud noise, followed by what sounds like someone fighting carries throughout the house.

"Did you hear that?" You ask Kol and he nods.

You venture off together to examine the noise, but as your feet were supposed to land on the compound flooring they instead, alongside Kol's land on cement pavement.

You're swapped away into an entirely different environment as if stepped through an invisible door. In this case, it's not far from the truth at all.

The moon is high in the sky, the streets only illuminated by bare functioning street lamps. You look to your right, through a high metal fencing, spotting a house you are quite familiar with.

"What the hell?" You look at and he too looks around. He seems as baffled as you are.

A barely noticeable breeze washes over you, as a group of four people, a couple in the front and two women in the back, run through your shell, just like you did with Kol.

They seem familiar. And then it dawned you; this is a memory of your past. And the couple is you and Kol.

"Isn't that.."

"That's us," Kol concludes and you share a look, both of your heads spinning with questions upon questions with no seeming answer in sight. "Should we follow them?" he asks.

The creaky metal door opens itself promptly, inaudibly answering Kos question.

"That's not creepy at all." You mutter, following your past selves into the manor.

The scene that lies before you when you enter, frozen in time, took place in late December of 1914, mere days before Christmas at a noblewoman's residence, the well-known Dowager Fauline's house. Your witch friends, Mary-Alice Claire and Astrid accompanied you this location, in hope to find the paragon diamond that was needed to form the dagger to get rid of Klaus.

The scene remains still and lifeless but quickly changes once you crossed the foothold. The motion returns and you get to witness one of your countless memories as an observer.

_"Apologies, gentleman." Your past-self said, "It seems you're compromising our operation. I suggest you leave. Now, before it gets ugly."_

_"I don't think so, woman. " one of the men replied._

_Kol wheezed in amusement, fully aware that and an answer like this, especially how the man emphasized the word 'woman', fuels your fire_

_"Uh, wrong answer I'm afraid. " Kol says, opening the first buttons of his overcoat, already preparing for a fight "Isn't that right, darling?"_

_"Certainly." You nod, swiftly looking at Kol "You ready?"_

_"Ladies first." He replied a wicked smile painted on his lips._

_It was a thrill, fighting beside Kol. Where he was brutal and head-on, you were fast and cunning. You were like two candles joining fire. In a fight you were lethal, but around each other, you'd melt with one single touch._

_It was more than obvious to everyone standing witness of your fighting skills that this was far from your first fight, but in that moment something else than your vampire strength fueled your fire; You were fighting for a cause you thought impossible; Your own happiness._

_And that, no matter supernatural or not, makes even the kindest souls lethal to the bone._

_Blood dripping from your hands you looked at him, at the man you were in love with. No, the man you loved. He's a little bit messy and a little bit ruined - just like yourself._

_In that moment you were certain you would never feel the same about any living soul but him. And never is a big word for an immortal soul._

_"You know what they say, a couple that slays together stays together." He traced his fingers through his hair, the blood on his hands stained the soft strands. He then searched the crystal decanters on the shelf next to him and grabbed the only diamond hidden there. He must'be spotted it while fighting._

_"Then we'll be together forever, judging by the mess we made."_

_"Oh, I plan on it," he said and grabbed your arm, twirling you into his chest. He traced his fingers along your face before pulling you close, brushing his lips against yours._

_You were partners in crime, lovers and companions all wrapped up in one. And he couldn't ask for more._

_You bathed in victory that night, however, it was short lived. A dark storm already lied ahead, in fact, it already lured outside._

Suddenly, the image freezes and the colour fades away, as if layer with a desaturating filter. Before you could say anything at all, you are swapped away into yet another scene.

"Okay, I'm already sick of this. I swear, if I hear a cheesy montage soundtrack next, I'm gonna lose my -" You stop mid-sentence, your eyes falling upon the sight in front of you.

It's another look into the past, this time, however, it is only you, bloodied from top to bottom, writing a letter in a barely lid room.

_Oh boy._

Kol steps closer to your past-self, while you remain behind, hoping that this particular scene would crumble as soon as possible. You'd rather avoid explaining what led up to this point.

Kol looks at your past self, noticing how your eyes seem to look different.

The light in your eyes he saw whenever you looked at him was dead gone, only replaced with a dull, indifferent look.

Then he catches a glimpse of the letter your past-self safely tucks away in an envelope, the date  _"Hell, March 13, 1919,"_  written atop.

"What is this?" Kol asks, his eyes troubled, confused and interested all at once.

You remember the time of desolation. Your brothers send you away several years prior, you just lost Kol and with him, your hope. The Mikaelson's fled New Orleans as well, running from Mikael.

All seemed lost and you couldn't bear the hopelessness, so your mind shut itself off. It was the first time you flipped your switch. And it's safe to say, it was brutal.

In more ways than one.

"It uh... it was my dark period." You explain, evading Kol's look."It seems the ripper gene runs in my family after all. Stefan as the Ripper of Monterey, Damon as Son of Sam and me,...well, let's say, I took a different approach."

Kol steps to the window next to the table, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar streets of New Orleans of 1919 he never got to witness himself. He clenches his fist, furious how his own brother and his love for silver daggers is the cause of your downward spiral.

Yet another victim caught up in hurricane Klaus. And he couldn't stop it.

"I'm sorry." He says, his back still turned. "We should've left New Orleans. Instead, we remained behind, cooking up a petty revenge scheme. We should've left and none of this would've happened.

"You don't know that." You walk next to him, only your presence, however real it is, seems to even out his breathing. It seems that you're still, after all this time, not only his beacon in the dark, but also his peacekeeper. "You really think I wouldn't have snapped one way or another? Come on. You know me. I snapped at playing chess for god sakes."

"That's not it."

"What is it then?"

He opens his mouth and closes it again, searching for the right way- or better- the right words "You were forced to endure it on your own. I never wanted you to be alone again."

"It's not your fault. None of this is. Besides, I'm here now. And even if this is nothing but a short walk down memory lane, I take every second I can get."

A piece of paper swirls through the wind, twisting and turning through the open window, landing next to your past self on the desk. The card flips on his own, an address writing itself on the light paper as if a ghost picked up a pen.

You and Kol share a look of wonder, before Kol reaches for it, but stops, not sure if he'd even be able to pick it up.

The pen stops, spelling out and address in your hometown.

_Mystic Falls._

The card begins to disappear in an instant, as does the scene around you, crumbling into yet another different one in the blink of an eye.

You look around the obnoxiously ordinary suburban house. It looks like you've just walked into a showroom in of the countless furniture stores. "What fresh hell is this? The suburbs, really?"

"The house looks quite nice." Kol shrugs. For him, this modern house must have quite the charm.

"Quite nice? It looks like we got zoomed into a goddamn episode of Desperate Housewives!"

"Desperate H- what?" He laughs out loud for the first time for you to witness in decades. Your pulse picks up in an instant with his smile, your heart hammers against your chest so loud you're sure he must hear it.

"It's a horrible Tv show." You tell him, and he looks as amused and confused as before "Right. I forgot. You have no idea what I'm talking about."

"You'll have a lot to teach me then. When we'll reunite."

"You mean if."

He shakes his head "When."

A noise is heard from one of the backrooms, most likely the kitchen.

Kol is the first to walk into the room, still maintaining his habit to be your shield. You being you, you always tried to regain the front line, and this time it's no different.

There's a woman, clothed in only a button down shirt and socks, filling up the nearby coffee machine. She turns around to turn up the volume of a little radio that'is standing on the window cill and your breath gets caught up in your throat.

"Is that..."

"That's you." Kol finishes your sentence taking a step closer while you remain glued to the tiled flooring.

"I look..." You look at yourself from the other side of the counter the fine lines and wrinkles on your face more defined "......old. No way... I'm...human?"

"And married," Kol says and you follow his gaze. There's a shiny diamond ring accompanied by a white gold wedding band. "I swear if it's not me.." He starts but stops when a man walks into the kitchen.

He must be in his mid 30's, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants, a slight beard scruff on his face and the familiar smile on his lips.

It's Kol.

"Damn you look good." You say, rounding the corner to get a better look at him.

Kol furrows his brow and thinks for a second, contemplating whether he should be offended or flattered by your statement.

_"Morning." Human Kol snakes his arms around your - whatever version of yourself this is- waist from behind._

_"Good morning, sleepyhead." You turn in his arms, resting your own behind his neck, pulling him down for a kiss._

_When he parts he refocuses on your face, lips curled into a smile._

_"What?" You ask him, curious as to what made him smile._

_"Nothing."_

_"Come on, tell me."_

_He shakes his head "You'll laugh at me if I tell you." You keep looking at him, your eyes urging him to continue his sentence " I got distracted by your beauty."_

_"Wow." You laugh "That's cheesy as hell. Even for you."_

_Kol laughs and rolls his eyes, pulling you into his chest to sway along with the changing song on the radio._

The image slowly freezes the same way as the others did, the music dying down as well.

"They- .. We look happy." Kol says, looking at the stilled image.

"We will be as happy someday. Not human, but happy. I promise. Nothing will keep me from getting you back. Even if I have to force every witch in the country and beyond to help me.

The word witch startles Kol, and it dawns upon him that there is a particular witch that could be locked n the mystery coffin. If that is the case, he has to warn you.

Immediately.

But before he can even attempt to open his mouth, the ground begins the quiver and shake.The picture frames shatter to the ground and the front door snaps open, a gust of wind howling through the halls.

The wind seems to twine around you, pulling you back. You look around you in terror, fearing that this means you have to say goodbye to Kol.

Again.

"No no no! I need more time."You beg the invisible force, but it only replies by dragging you back further, out the kitchen door.

Kol runs after you, eyes wide with panic "Y/N, listen to me, don't-'" the force seems to grow impatient and pulls harder, dragging you through the hall, the door already near.

"Don't what?!"

"The Coffin. Don't-" But you were already out the door, gone and swapped back into reality.

"Don't open it." He whispers against the wind as the darkness overcomes him, sucking him back into the deep dark hole of desolation and pain.

You open your eyes in a rapid motion, the wind's howling replaced by the repeated call of your name.

_Y/N....Y/N....Y/N!_

You look around, your eyes finally refocusing on Stefan and Damon in front of you. They look at you questioningly, the question marks almost visible in their eyes.

But the questions that you're interested is entirely different:  _What the hell just happened?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I re-wrote this so many times I can't really tell if it's good or bad. You have no idea how much I struggled with these scene changes, so I hope it doesn't feel rushed. Anyway, there's a little easter egg for all of you true crime fans. Anyone spotting it? Probably not. If you do, let me know.
> 
> Also, the origin and purpose of the last vision and some of the others will be explained at a later date, don't you worry.


	11. Chapter 11: "Out of the Black"

 

 

 

You breathe heavily, your heart pounding in your chest as if you just woke up from a nightmare when in reality, it was far from a bad dream.

Y/N." Stefan hesitantly calls your name,

"What happened?" You ask, your voice hoarse and barely audible.

"You tell us." Damon says from the doorway "You were out like a light."

"I...I have no idea. Must've fallen asleep or something."

Reliving those memories with Kol soothed you like nothing else. But what was that last one about? Was it a look into the future, another universe, or just the imagination of one of the witch spirits present?

Then again, did it even happen? Or was it just a dream? One thing's for sure, compared to the dream this side of reality feels manufactured. Almost as if it's not real at all.

You look out of the window the bright daylight startling you. Wasn't it night already?

"How long was I out?

"Around 24 hours." Stefan fills you in "Give or take"

"Hold up, a day? A whole fucking day?"

Whatever these dreams or visions were, they knocked you out quite well.

"There's something else." Stefan looks down on his fingers, regret visible in his features.

"What?" You ask him, expecting nothing but the worst.

"I, uh.." Stefan looks out of the window then to his daylight ring, fumbling around with it. An obvious sign that something went terribly wrong.

"I'll give you the short version." Damon takes over "Stefan threatened to drive Elena off the Wickery Bridge trying to bluff Klaus into getting rid of his hybrids. Klaus retaliated and found the coffins."

Your heart sinks into your stomach at his words. Klaus found the coffins. He found them. He found Kol.

You jump up from the bed, furious on how your brother always seems to screw up immediately once you're not around.

Damon seems to sense the anger and frustration radiating from you because he takes a step back and holds his hands up in defense "Relax, little sis. I got one coffin out in time."

A shimmer of hope overcomes you, as fleeting as a leave swirling in the wind. Could it be that Damon saved Kol's coffin without having the slightest clue who's in it? Could fortune have favored you for once?

"Which one."

"Well-"

"Just give me a simple answer for once! None of your evasive crap."

"The one we have no idea what's in it. Bonnie thinks a weapon could be inside."

So much for fortune.

Goodbye to all the revenge fantasies that you've bundled up over the last days, hell, years. Goodbye to your nearing reunion.

Your head starts spinning as you wonder if the dream or vision, or whatever happened, will be the last time you see Kol. What if you never see him in the flesh again?

What if this is it?

You can't bear the thought of it.

"It's a handful I know, but even worse; I negotiated a meeting with the Mikaelsons. And we're late. Get dressed." Damon says and leaves the room.

Damon is known to do that. He's dropping a bomb but then leaves before the fallout hits him. Coward.

Instead of following Damon's, let's say,  _stern suggestion_ , you walk past your closet.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asks quite confused as to why you're not happy to get another shot at beating Klaus. Normally you would be out of the house already.

"I'm going back to bed. This is obviously a bad dream."

"It's not over yet, Y/N. We can still win."

"I know." You nod as Stefan turns to leave. You are well aware of the fact that is not true. Klaus left the coffins unattended once, he'll never go to do it again.

"Wait." You call after him as well as walking a few steps towards where he's standing "Klaus will exploit every single weakness we have now that we screwed with him. Whatever happens....you know that I love you, right? Damon too, even if he's a huge pain in the ass."

"I" He pauses. Stefan has always preferred writing his feelings on paper as opposed to speaking them out loud, but he knows that you're the same, and if you can say it out loud so can he " Love you too."

"Now, I guess we're off to let's go into the lion's den." You sigh "I'll be down in a few minutes, okay?"

Damon's Camaro comes to a halt in front of enormous Mikaelson Mansion, wheels screeching on the asphalt.

You stumble out of the backseat once Stefan and Damon got out, almost falling flat on your face as you try to unfold out of the car. It's almost as if you're playing limbo.

Finally, without either damaging yourself or the car you and your brothers come to a stop in front of the enormous mansion.

"Go ahead." You gesture to the door for Damon to knock

"I'm not knocking." Damon shakes his head and pushes Stefan forward.

"I'm not either."

"Children. Both of you." You roll your eyes and grab the inn door knocker, hammering it against the door.

After the first knock the door opens, Elijah, dapper as always welcoming you.

"Y/N. It's a pleasure to see you again."Elijah nods and looks at Stefan, then Damon "Gentlemen."

"Likewise Elijah. It's good to see you vertical for once."

It has always been a bit...difficult with you and Elijah. He is the peacekeeper of the family and you, well, you tried to neutralize his brother with the help of his other one.

He was never sure in which category to put you in.

Friend or Foe. Ally or Opponent.

"Do come in." He takes a step back and allows you to step inside "Niklaus our guests are here!"

Y/N!" Klaus calls out as he steps through a double door adjoining the room "There you are. It seems you missed the quarrels yesterday. I presume you were preoccupied?"

"Maybe." You shrug "Or maybe I just didn't want to see your face? "

"What a shame. I presume you heard the news?" He smiles, triumphing over his win.

You, on the other hand, feel the tingling desire to punch that smile right off of his face.

"Which one? That you're a backstabbing hybrid-dick? I think we're all aware of the fact." You glance over at Stefan and he holds back a laugh.

"Hm. Just know I will take very good care of the cargo. They'll be safely tucked away for another century." Klaus smiles and you feel your stomach turn with rage.

You dig your nails into the palm of your hand as you swallow down the burning anger mixed with heart-wrenching sadness. You can barely hold yourself together, the mixed emotions of just looking at his satisfied smile and the knowledge that you were so close to getting Kol back only to have Klaus snatch him away right from under your fingertips

"Let's get to business then."Klaus turns and walks further into the house "Elijah tells me, you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilized men, shall we?"" He says gesturing to a table set with food and crystal glasses.

"Good luck with that." You scoff. Nobody present, not even Elijah, could be considered as civilized.

That horse went out the barn years ago.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus." Stefan says, not moving from his spot "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all."

"Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. The choice is yours."

"Let's get this over with." You pull up a chair and sit down, "We survived dinner with Mom and Dad back in the day. How worse could it be?"

\----------------------------------------------------

As it turns out, it's exceptionally worse.

The usual drunken state of your father and the avoiding gaze of your mother whenever you were forced to eat dinner together is replaced by lingering gazes full of suspicion and mutual dislike.

If you look at it that way, not much has changed after all.

Although, just being in the same room as Klaus, or better right across the table sets your blood on fire. And not the good kind. It is the kind where you have to grab the silverware as tight as possible to avoid plugging it into your opponent's hand.

Every good instinct signals you the just get up and walk away. But you have to hold your ground. Just until an agreement is arranged. There's a time for fighting and a time for waiting out the storm. This might just be the latter.

"Isn't it nice? Five of us dining together? Such a treat."Klaus smiles and cuts off a piece of his dinner "Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" He asks, directing the question at Damon.

"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier." Damon looks at Elijah and playfully winks at him.

If anyone'is expecting you to start winking too, this dinner might just be over sooner than expected.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century. But we always make it through."

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan interrupts "Where is she, by the way?"

"Good question, Stef! I've been wondering that myself." You say, "Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah.

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed dad?" Damon turns his head "Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert."

"Dad had it coming, Damon, you know that."

"Exactly. We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses."

"I'm just saying we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

"Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah asks, changing the subject to something more pleasant.

Or so he thinks.

"I don't know. Ask Damon."

Klaus laughs out loud, while Elijah seems to be startled by Stefan's reaction "I'm sorry, you've missed so much." He says " Ah, trouble in paradise."

"One more word about Elena and this dinner are over." Stefan flashes Klaus a false smile, his eyes deadly serious.

Klaus smiles and puts a finger to his lips as a promise to keep quiet about Elena.

"You know what, probably best just to keep Elena in the do-not-discuss pile." Damon

"You're probably right." Klaus agrees "It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger, still so strong. What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?"

"Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?"

"I don't see the point either." You shrug "You fell in love with Tatia like you two fell for Katherine. And Elena."

"Well, there are other stories to tell, Y/N."He says and stares at you, torturing you with his eyes "For example, there is your undying love for my brother Kol."

"What?!" Damon chokes on the wine he was drinking, glaring at you from across the table.

_That bastard._


	12. Chapter 12: "Where do we go from here?"

 

 

The room falls completely silent. Merely the fireplace crackling in the background deflects from the fact that everyone is staring at you. Only Stefan looks at the ceiling, rolling his eyes at Klaus awful timing.

Speaking of Klaus, he, of course, smiles like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh, you were unaware of your sisters love affairs?" He says fakely offended by his indiscretion "How rude of me."

"Niklaus, this is not the time to-" Elijah begins, the Peacekeeper in him in full swing, but Damon interrupts him

"No no do tell. We're curious, right Stefan?"

"Not really, no." Stefan shakes his head "I know all I need to."

"You knew?!"

"Leaving the oldest brother in the dark. What a turn of events." Klaus puppeteers yet again.

You bite the inside of your cheek to avoid saying anything about Klaus unnecessary commentary.

Damon once again proves that he doesn't trust you still. Not even when it comes to love.

"Are you gonna say anything or are just gonna sit there?"

"What do you want me to say? I won't apologize for falling in love. "

"Love? You can't actually think you one, know what love is and second, think that he, a Mikaelson is capable of anything remotely close to love." He blurts out suddenly unaware of his environment. He looks at both Mikaelson brothers and raises his hands in defense "No offense."

"And you would know that how? Right, you don't. You haven't known me for centuries." You glare at him, your fury rising to an already unhealthy level "Besides, I don't see why you should be allowed to judge me anyway, considering your past. Or present."

"That has  _nothing_  to do with-"

You plunge the knife you had been clutching into the expensive table, the pinch damaging several inches "It has everything to do with that!"

"Finally!" Klaus claps as if to congratulate himself "I feared you've lost your fire."

"I'm so fucking sick of your double standard." Damon swallows, quite a bit baffled by your sudden offense "Need I remind you, you are in the same exact situation with yet another doppelganger claiming to be so in love you're willing to sacrifice your relationship with your own brother. Do I like any of that? No. Do I judge you because of it? Actually yes, but I would never tell you what to do. So, don't you dare judge me or the only good thing that has ever happened in my life. Don't you dare."

The room falls silent yet again, only the breathy laugh of Klaus on the opposite side of the table. He, of course, seems to enjoy this quarrel, especially because for once it's not him and his sibling's bickering.

_Must be refreshing indeed._

"Now now, we don't intend to judge anybody, now do we? Your brother, as well as I, are merely curious about how you came to know of my brother's whereabouts in the first place." Klaus asks, more satisfying his curiosity than Damons "Somebody must've sent you. I would've known if a Salvatore lived in New Orleans."

"Do you really want to know who send me? I don't think you'd be happy with the answer." You say and Klaus narrows his eyes, trying to gather any information as to who you're referring to.

"You were sent? Like a spy?" Stefan asks, now curious despite his previous statement.

"You could say that." You nod" It was in 1913. I was ordered to gather information about the Original family. So I did. When I learned of Kols history I discharged my mission and we joined forces."

"Why would you do that?"

There it is. The moment at the crossroads. You could either go down the same path you've been trodding on since you returned to this dreadful town. It's the path lead by the fear of losing your brothers again, so you kept secrets hidden behind lock and key or you sugar coated them to lessen the blow.

Then there's the unknown, foggy path, where every secret and bottled feeling lies out in the open. The road might be lonely, but if there is one feeling you're used to it is loneliness.

 _Screw it._  Nothing left to lose anyway.

Secret's out. Better to abandon the path the led to nowhere.

"Because he was abandoned by his family like I was. The odd ones out that nobody seemed to care about."

Stefan looks on his plate as does Elijah, a rush of guilt rushing over both of them. Stefan seems to feel responsible for sending you away after he figured out that you were the one that told your father about Katherine. And Elijah, well, he stood by while Klaus daggered his siblings and did nothing. Of course, he feels guilty. He should.

Klaus and Damon, on the other hand, don't seem to be too faced by all of it. Their masks of anger and wit still glued to their faces.

"And somewhere along the line, we fell in love. Until he decided to take him away," You reminisce, pointing at Klaus," simply because we planned on doing the same to him he did to all of his siblings." You look at Klaus, his face unchanged, almost bored by the telling of your story. "And you saw it as a betrayal, didn't you? As if you never betrayed your family before."

"And despite all your joined ambition look where you are now. Kol is safely tucked away, as is the key ingredient of the weapon that has the same effect as a common dagger. You've dealt your cards, now haven't you?"

He's right. You have dealt your cards and you don't have an ace in the hold.

"So, that's why you waltzed back into town, isn't it? To find Kol?" Damon asks, eerily similar to Stefan only mere days ago.

"No, Kol not the only reason. I came back to help Stefan. And maybe even for you. Not that you care of course."

"Now now, Y/N, don't forget the best part about your arrival. Or should I say Elijah's arrival?

"Niklaus." Elijah shakes his head, warning his little brother to stop treading on the path of alienating you and your siblings.

But Klaus being Klaus he decides to make things worse instead. "Tell me, who falsely lured my dear brother to Mystic Falls with the promising news of yet another Petrova doppelganger, hoping it be me who comes running?"

Stefan snickers at Klaus words and shakes his head in disbelief.

"Something funny?" Klaus asks, not quite understanding the reason for Stefan's amusement.

"Yes. You." Stefan looks at him "She wouldn't do that, you're lying."

"Such faith in your sister. It's ill-placed I'm afraid." Klaus sighs and looks over to you " Isn't that right Y/N?"

Stefan glances over, his eyes fixated on you once he sees the guilt written over your face "Tell me he's lying."

"I can't. It's true." Your voice is shaking with the heartbeat that seems to be stuck in your throat.

Stefan blinks once before he lowers his head, the truth sinking into his bones. You are responsible for Elijah finding Elena. You're responsible for Klaus coming back here and breaking his curse. And you are responsible for everything that has happened after.

How could is own sister, that he loves, be the cause of his misery that has befallen him?

"Say something, please." You plead, burning tears of frustration and hurt threatening to fall from your eyes "Fine. We're right back where we started, aren't we? After everything I did for you."

"You mean what you have done for yourself," Damon speaks out what presumably everyone in this room is thinking.

"Nothing I did was intended to hurt you or Stefan, but believe whatever you need to believe. I know that my intentions coming back here were true. Not entirely unselfish, but true. If you can't see that, so be it."

Klaus opens his mouth to pour another tinge of salt in open wounds, but Elijah stops him from doing so.

"That's enough." he says "Why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal, rather than relive memories that have no place at this table?"

"You know what, you go right ahead. I'm done." You throw the handkerchief over the plate and get up "Congratulations, Klaus. You win. You burned me out. I give up." You look at Stefan who refuses to even meet your gaze.

You don't even have to look at Damon to know what he shares his brother's fury.

Tears roll down your cheeks as you turn around, not looking back once. Slamming the door behind you, tears now freely running down your face blurring your sight.

You showed them the side you've been hiding. The rotten part of yourself. All the lies, loneliness and secrets were put out in the open. All the feelings of despair and loneliness.

You spoke the truth and you were judged for it. Worse, you're ended up right where you started. Yet another set of memories that will soon crumble, be immortalized and buried six feet under.

What's left to do then leave and never look back?

Exactly,  _nothing._

 

**Meanwhile at the Mikaelson Manor**

"Let's get to the deal then. " Damon says and leans forward, his elbows resting on the table "Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever."

"The deal sounds fair, brother." Elijah shrugs.

"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave her behind.Nor will I leave my family." Klaus shakes his head and gets up to pace the room "Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding?" Damon looks at Stefan at Klaus words, but Stefan keeps his head down, still digesting the secrets that have been laid before him. "You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is...the two of you."

Damon gives Klaus a weak smile "I'm gonna get some air."

"Let me deal with this." Elijah springs up from his seat and follows Damon outside.

"Well, I guess the only reason you agreed to this evening, Klaus, is to drive a wedge between us," Stefan says, as he paces the room. He can't seem to sit still anymore.

"Oh no, you're doing that well enough on your own." Klaus laughs, obviously still very amused by the chaos he caused.

Klaus and Stefan turn their heads as Elijah and Damon reenter.

"Elijah...is there a problem?" Klaus asked wearily, already sensing that something appears to be wrong

"Where are your manners, brother? We forgot dessert." Elijah takes the cover off the tray one of the servants bring in.

Two silver daggers lie on it.

Klaus looks at the tray and his eyes widen "What have you done?"

"What have  _you_  done? You see, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. And after your despicable act tonight I decided to abandon my tactic. We're doing this on my terms now."

Right on cue, Kol enters the room, eyes burning at the sight of his bastard brother.

"Kol." Klaus says, fear written over his features. Kol is the sibling he fears the most, especially now that he just severed the ties with you and your brother. Kol will be furious once he finds out.

And if Klaus and Kol share one aspect of their personality, it's rage.

"Long time, brother." Kol walks towards him and Klaus backs away.

The oldest brother Finn, now undaggered as well suddenly appears and grabs a dagger and stabs Klaus through the hand "Finn, don't!" Klaus rushes away, bumping into his sister.

"This is for our mother." Rebekah stabs Klaus in the heart with the remaining dagger: She pulls it out the dagger out and Klaus falls back into Kol's arms and he restrains him.

Elijah looks at Damon and Stefan switching before his eyes land on Kol. Should he tell his little brother to go with them to find Y/N? Or would Kol feel even more excluded as he already does if he sends him away?

"Stefan, Damon, you're free to go." Elijah says and gives them a nod "This is family business."

"Salvatore?" Kol pushes Klaus over to Finn, the thirst for revenge overshadowed by the longing he feels for you."Was your sister with you'?

"She left." Damon answers shortly. He is still bitter about the secret you've been hiding. Right now, he couldn't care less where you are.

"Take me to her," Kol demands.

Stefan and Damon share a quick look, having one of their silent conversations. They both know that if Kol is anything like his siblings, he won't take no for an answer.

Besides, Stefan can't help but think how you are dealing with this situation.

Even after everything you've done to get here, he knows that sometimes drastic measures like luring the Mikaelsons to Mystic falls and every chaos that has unfolded is necessary. If it was in this case, he has yet to figure out.

"Fine." Stefan agrees to Kol's demand "Let's start at home."

 

Kol glances out the slightly dirty passenger window, outlandish looking cars fly by, accompanied by strangely dressed people either talking or looking at a handheld device.

It's safe to say he's confused by the sudden time leap. He feels even more like an outsider in this day in age, than he used to.

"So you're-" Damon begins to talk, attempting to form some sort of non-awkward road conversation.

"I'm in no mood to talk. Especially not to you." Kol blows him off. After everything you've told him about your family quarrels, Kol doesn't have the slightest desire to talk to Damon.

"Nevermind, I do have one simple question." Kol shifts in his seat to catch a glimpse of Stefan in the backseat "Who do I have to torture to find out who scared Y/N away?"

"Who do you think?" Stefan scoffs, the answer obvious to him.

"Nik, of course." Kol looks out the window, hands clenched and lip twitching."Let me guess, you played his hand, didn't you?"

"It's her own fault. She could've told us the truth." Damon says, the bitterness and fury hearable.

"Because you handle the truth exceptionally well the last time." Kol scoffs and shakes his head.

Your brothers remind him so much of his own siblings. He too is always the first to blame or the one that's judged the harshest, even if his own siblings committed as awful of atrocities.

Sometimes even worse ones.

 

**Y/N | Boarding House**

You've been crying all the way to the Boarding House. Calling it home now, would not be appropriate. At least not anymore.

Your brothers searched for the first indicator to push you away again. And Klaus served it on a silver platter.If they want to get rid of you so badly, so be it. You'll cross the town borders in the next minutes without looking back.

A new adventure awaits.

Another road redefined.

You swing the heavy bag containing your belongings over your shoulders, as you turn to get a last look at your room that has never quite felt like home. You close the door behind you, as well as the metaphorical door of this failed attempt to reconcile with your brothers.

Alone, like you've been used to for the last 100 years.

Maybe it's better this way. Wherever you to set foot in chaos soon seems to follow. They're better off without you.

You open the front door, stepping outside under the darkening sky, your heart both heavy for leaving, especially the way you do, but the tiniest part of you feels freer.

Finally, they know what you've been hiding for a long time. Not everything still, but the most important parts.

You take a deep breath before turning to close the door behind you. The wind seems to pick up once you do, a swift breeze running down your back. Before the door fully closes, a firm hand wraps around your neck, squeezing tightly before pulling you into the darkness with a swift break. Your bag falls on the floor, as does your phone as your attacker drags you away at rapid speed.

Not a minute later, Damon speeds down the driveway and Kol jumps out while it's still moving, impatient to see you again. He has the brightest smile on his lips and he knows once he can wrap his arms around you, every pain he endured will be washed away.

He'll know he'll be whole again.

His smile quickly falters as he stops at the door that's still ajar, the bag on the floor catching his attention. He looks around him in panic, searching for any indication of you. When he can't find one he kicks the door open in rage and worry, speeding through the entire house searching room for room, but nothing.

Kol balls his fist and returns outside, grabbing Damon by the neck holding him firmly a few feet above the ground.

If this would be any other vampire than your brother, he would go straight for the heart. But he knows no matter how much your brothers hurt you, you would never let anyone hurt them as long as if there's no way around it.

"Where. Is. She?" Kol grits through his teeth, voice dangerously calm and sharp.

"Knock it off! We don't know where she is." Stefan intervenes, but Kol doesn't budge.

Stefan then switches from defence to offence and speeds towards him. Kol doesn't even have to look behind him to anticipate the attack and grabs Stefan as well.

"If you would've stood by her for once in your pathetic lives, she would be here. Now you will help me find her. And we  _will_ find her, do you understand?" They nod, face already red from the loss of oxygen.

"Very good." Kol releases them and they heave for air, coughing their way back to normal breathing "Let's get started then, shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, before I start, please put the pitchforks down!!! I know letting them miss each other by just a moment this is cruel, very cruel in fact. But how boring would've been if I just went with the normal plot line. I mean, I am a sucker for that overdramatic running into each other's arms thing, but the angst won once again.


	13. Chapter 13: "Dark Before Dawn"

 

 

You wake up to the sound of blood rushing through your head. You look around in panic, vision still laid with a filter of darkness. You see nothing but trees beyond trees as the restrains in your arm burn your delicate skin.

Vervain no doubt.

"Ah, you're awake. Finally." Heavy boots land on small, brittle branches, breaking them in half with their weight, as the familiar voice echoes in the endless woods.

Not a moment later you come face to face with the last person you expected to be visiting Mystic Falls.

_Her._

 

**Monterey, California 1912**

You catch a glimpse of him through a broken set of windows, the wind howling through the cracked openings. The flickering street light illuminates the blood splattered, wet with rain cobblestone.

Stefan bites into the exposed and neck of his victim while another one is already headless on the floor.

You've been following him for the last weeks, witnessing his uncontrollable ripper need. He already made a name for himself as the Ripper of Monterey in the short time he's been murdering his way through town.

He lets his victim fall to the ground, head in his hand, carelessly walking away, leaving his mess behind.

You follow him, hidden in the shadows for a few miles under the night sky as a melody catches your attention. Out of whatever reason, it draws you in, the carefully arranged notes and words pleasing you so much you decide to follow it.

You can catch up with Stefan later. The trail of bodies will easily lead you to him.

You reach a busy parallel street, surrounded by numerous of houses down the road. Some resident has placed their Grammophon near an open window, the sound of the muffled singer's voice draining out of it, onto the street. You hum along to the soft tunes of a fairly new song.

To your left clicking heels on the cobblestone are heard, and a woman rounds to the corner of a nearby house, her beaded, crimson dress flashing in the streetlights momentarily as she passes under them.

A couple, dressed in evening clothes passes her, going to great lengths to avoid her at any cost, whispering and glancing at her. They seem terrified.

Who is she?

She scoffs at them, shaking the weird looks off like she's done it a thousand times. As she comes nearer you can make out her tanned skin, shimmering with the slightest golden tone, as well as her dark hair, cut in a much shorter style than it is fashionable right now.

Your eyes cross and she stops, turning her head to where the music comes from.

"Oh, what a delightful tune. Sadly it will be forgotten in the generations to come. What a shame. Mortals are so fickle." "She says, her fiery eyes, illuminated by the streetlamp above.

Mortals. Huh. So she must supernatural. With the way she'd scoffed at them, it would've been a surprise if she wasn't.

You're uncertain as to why she decided to stop, but engaging in some small talk should be harmless right? The last time you really had someone to talk to was weeks ago when your brothers decided to send you away.

"With the way they look at you, it's no wonder you don't like them." You say.

"Well, if you don't terrify people at least a little bit then what's the point, right?" She says, her eyes scanning the surroundings nonstop.

Is she waiting for someone?

"Now tell me Humminbird, you care for letting loose at a party?" She asks and fixes a loose strand of hair "This lurking is nice and all, but nothing beats a nice bloody midnight snack. "

Mystery solved. She's a vampire.

"No thanks. I'm not one for parties." You decline, the song coming to an end, the Grammophon crackling.

"Oh come on now, a little party never killed nobody."

Only the thought of people squished together in a room reminds you of the cold and closed walls in the basement. There's not a doubt in your mind that a party is the last thing you want to do.

"Might kill me."

"If you say so." She shrugs and looks over her shoulder again. "Then to another matter; You know you could put your stealth to better use other than stalking that fellow back there."

"So you've been following me, great." You sigh weirdly enough not at all bothered, even with the vibe she gives off, "Okay, I'll play, how exactly should I put it to better use?"

"You could work for me."

"Sorry, but I don't work for anyone, especially because I don't know who the hell you are. Besides, I don't follow orders very well as it is."

"Name's Maeyra Cain, short Mae. See? Now you know me." She smiles "And you wouldn't need to follow orders, only suggestions. You can follow or deny whatever you see fit."

"Give me one good reason why I should even consider working for You? I'm not gonna be your cannon fodder"

"For starters, you would be among your kind. The abandoned and forgotten, outlaws that slip through the cracks - a community of like-minded souls." Mae says and looks at you fully for the first time "You wouldn't be lonely anymore."

Ouch. A dull ache rushes through, her words echoing shortly.

She didn't say alone. She said lonely. And there's a big difference in being without company, and feeling like there's not a single person in the world that cares about you. And, as it seems, Mae spotted that you, unfortunately, are the latter.

"Great sales pitch." You face away from her, swallowing down the sadness creeping up "You should run for office. God knows we could use someone else than Taft up there."

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine?"

"A ray of pitch black would fit better, but sure. It's a family trait. " You shrug her off, with the curiosity of her proposal still lingering.

Perhaps a change of scenery would do you good? But should you really trust someone you just met that lets people quake with fear? And what about Stefan? You would feel guilty if you'd leave him alone now, even if he doesn't even know you're there.

"Let's say I agree, hypothetically, what would I have to do?" You ask her.

"For now, observe a very powerful and dangerous family," Mae says

"Let me guess. They killed someone you love and you want revenge? How cliche"

"Now, don't get ahead of yourself. They didn't have any part in that, I did that all by myself." She shakes head, a brief flicker of sorrow washing over her as quickly dying as it surfaced.

"What is it then?"

"I have a personal interest in knowing where they are and what they might be plotting. That's where you come in. You could be my eyes and ears, working in the shadows."

"A spy?" You scoff, the image of you in a trenchcoat as it is fashion for spies in this day in age, too ridiculous to comprehend, let alone to become "No thanks."

"Very well." Mae nods, acknowledging your decline "If you happen to change your mind, come to New Orleans. I'll know when you're there."

"You'll know? How?"

"I am good at what I do, Y/N Salvatore." She says and your heart drops into your stomach at her surprising use of your name

"How-"

"Like I said, I'm good at what I do."She says and turns to leave "Have a good night, hummingbird."

"Wait."You call after her and she stops "Why me? Why do you want me to join?"

"Because you remind me of myself. I know you search for a purpose. Something to live for. I can give that to you. You'll just have to trust me." She says, looking over her shoulder briefly before turning away "Take a leap, Y/N! You won't regret it! "She calls out into the starry night, disappearing into the dusky shadows she emerged from.

 

**Mystic Falls | Present time**

Mae reaches in the side of her boots, grabbing one of her knives hidden there. She skillfully twists and turns it in her hand, the blade shining in the daylight.

"You've been ignoring my calls, Y/N." She sighs " What t am I supposed to with you"

"I was busy."

"I know you were."

"Of course you were spying on me you crazy bitch." You roll your eyes, "By the way what the fuck is this? Vervain ropes, really?"

"Just a safety precaution. I know you punch first and ask questions later, and I don't particularly want to be introduced to your right hook again." Mae squats down and cuts the vervain ropes with the knife, the skin on her left hand sizzling with the vervain contact.

"Where the hell are we?" You look around the lush forest, no evidence of where she dragged you.

"About 2 hours outside of Mystic Falls. Had to get away from those prying eyes and ears. You know how it goes."

You do know how it goes. If it's one thing you learned while working with her, is that there's always somebody watching. No matter where you are or what you do.

"Why are you here, Mae?"

"Can't I just visit my good ol' Hummingbird?"

"First of all, stop using that weird ass codename or nickname or whatever it is at this point, and second of all; you hate leaving New Orleans. Or your house."

"What can I say?" She innocently throws her arms in the air "I hate people. All of 'em. Except for food, of course."

"Mae. What's going on?" You ask her impatiently, the die'sire to put as many miles between you and Mystic Falls still imminent "Tell me, I have placed to be.

"Fine. I need your help. I heard through the grapevine that a particular, very VERY old witch just woken up from the dead and I, well, I need you to gather some infomation "

"Look, I want to help. I do. But I need- Wait did you say woken from the dead?"

"And guess who it is. Mama Mikaelson."

Esther Mikaelson alive? Could that mean that Kol....

No. 

It's just another false flash of hope and you couldn't survive another of those.

"Wait a minute. I thought... didn't Klaus kill her?" You ask her, remembering how Kol told you about his family's history.

"Apparently it didn't stick." Mae shrugs.

"How-"

"Doesn't matter. The only question I need answered right now is are you willing to help me? You still owe me for the tip a few weeks ago, you know?"

"Great tip by the way. Led me right to a decoy."

"But you did find your shiny diamond, now didn't you?"

"Fine." You breathe out, pulled back into helping her once more "I'll help you. But then I'm gone."

"Ah, you might want to reconsider. I have a surprise for you."

"Please don't tell me it includes breaking bones like your other surprises."

"Come on now, isn't that your usual Friday night anyway?" She jokes, but only earns an eye roll from you. "Trust me, you'll like this one. Oh, that reminds me." She says and rummages through her jacket pockets, pulling out a key "Here's the key to a safe house nearby, now that you don't want to go home anymore."

"You already knew I'd accept, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." She throws the key in your direction and you catch it easily "Now tell me, do I need to send someone to beat up your brothers? I heard they both were exceptionally mean at that dinner of yours."

 

**Boarding house | 1 hour earlier**

Kol had to flee to your room, the overwhelming desire to knock some sense into your brothers itching in his fingers.

Stefan and Damon had been trying to reach Bonnie, on that device called a cellphone he learned, in order to perform a locator spell. But she hasn't answered yet.

Tipping against the walls, uneasy and nervous, one because Kol is worried sick about you, and second because he still feels like an intruder in this century. When he was last awake, people could'have only dreamed of such technology. It's fascinating, even though he feels like a time traveller from another universe.

In many ways, he is just that.

He unzips your bag he found on the front porch, the sound of zipper echoing in your room. He picks up a shirt on top, and brings it to his nose, your familiar scent running through every amber f his body, intensifying his worry and desperation.

He needs to find you.

Scratch that.

He  _will_  find you. No matter what it takes. He'll burn the whole city and beyond to the ground if he has to.

He folds the shirt back to its original state, his hand brushing over a book bound in leather as he lays it down. He grabs it and flips it over, fingers brushing over your initials imprinted on the side.

It must be one of your diaries. It looks fairly familiar, but he can't put his finger on why that is. He hasn't seen any of your diaries before. At least he doesn't think he has.

Should he take a look inside, just a little peek?

No.

He shouldn't read it without your permission.

He places it back into the bag and zips it up, hauling it over his shoulders.

"What on earth is taking so long?"Kol says as he rejoined Stefan and Damon in the living room "I'm growing impatient. You don't want to see me impatient."

"Bonnie's not picking up."Stefan comes in, his phone in his hand.

"Find someone else then."

"We don't have someone else." Damon says "How about you

"I don't care if you have to force every witch in the vicinity, you will find her, understand?"

"He's a real charmer, isn't he?" Damon says to Stefan, who's dialling Bonnie's number for the 50th time today.

"Listen to me  _very_  carefully," Kol drops your bag and takes step after step towards Damon, his voice dangerously calm "You are still breathing just out of consideration for Y/N. Don't think for a second I wouldn't tear out your insides and decorate your walls with them. Because I want to. I  _will_ , if I hear as much as a-" The sudden high pitched tone of your phone Kol stored in his pocket startles him.

He pulls it out, trying to understand how to, well, answer it.

"Give it," Damon demands annoyed clicking on the message.

"Coordinates," Damon says shortly. "Y/N's coordinates. It's a few miles out of town."

Kol grabs the phone looking at the map attached to the message and speeds off, grabbing Damon's car keys on the way out. It would've been way too far to vamp speed there.

"Wh-Hey! GET BACK HERE !" Damon calls after him, worried already about his car "Get your keys, Stefan. Now! I hate this guy!"

 

**Virginia Woods | Present Time**

"Y/N?!!" Kol calls out into the echoing woods.

But there's no answer.

He feels defeat running through his veins, its cold sensation covering his skin. What if this is the wrong area? What if it was a joke and you're already gone?

"Y/N!!!" He calls again, with all the force his voice possesses

After another agonizing second, he finally gets an answer

"Kol?!"

His heart fills with peace solely by you uttering his name, and he races away, his vampire speed seemingly too slow for his liking. He stops on a clearing to were your voice came from, blooming flowers under his feet, as you step out of the shadow of a large oak tree.

His Heart Skips A beat by the sight of you. Your hair is illuminated by the halo of the golden sun and eyes shining so bright with wonder he swears he could see them from there.

Not a second later you both collide with each other like two planets crossing orbits

"I love you. I love you. I love you." He plants kisses from your cheek utter these words, travelling to your forehead to your lips, all his sorrows washing away.

"Ho-How are.....I thought...I'm dreaming, right?" You stumble over your words, thoughts spinning in a circle.

Kol laughs and shakes his head "This is very real."

"God, I missed you so much." You press him against you once more, tears of joy and relief filling your eyes.

This. This is the moment you have been dreaming of for the last 100 years. And this time, unlike the dream you had where you ran through his ghostly shell.

This time it's real and you can't even begin to fathom the happiness that'is pouring out of you.

"Ain't that sweet," Mae says, perfectly ruining the moment.

"You." Kol growls, more than ready to rip your kidnapper apart.

You pull him back by placing a hand on his shoulder, and he looks back wondering why you would protect her.

"She's a friend." You explain, and Kol relaxes slightly, still reaching for your hand, interlacing your fingers with his Mae steps closer,

"Mae, how did yo-... How is he here?" You ask her, holding Kol's hand with no intention of letting go ever again.

"Wasn't me. That was all him." Mae looks at someone behind you, and you turn looking into the blue eyes of your oldest brother; Damon. And next to him, Stefan.

"Damon.." You begin, searching for the best way to thank him.

"I didn't do it for you." He says bluntly, sharp with hatred still and you can feel Kol's hand tightening around yours, itching with the want to collide it with Damon's face.

You look at Stefan who hasn't said a word, and he doesn't still. But he gives you a nod, almost unnoticeable and that's all the good fortune you need.

Maybe there's hope after all for him to forgive you. In time.

"Let's go." You look at Kol and start walking, heading to Mae's safehouse but Damon blocks the way before you get far.

"Keys." He says, directing his demand at Kol.

Figures. Of course, Damon is only here because of his car.

Kol rummages through his pockets, dangling the keys in front of Damon's face. When he's reaching for it he throws them into the depths of the woods

"Have fun searching." Kol smiles at him, his smile not reaching his eyes.

There is laughter heard from behind as you and Kol walk away, as well as footsteps, as Mae joins your brothers.

"Ah, look at them. Long lost loves reunited again. How poetic." Mae sighs, looking at you and Kol walking away "Good plan by the way, including Elijah in your scheme" She says and claps Damon on the shoulder.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Name's is Maeyra Cain. My friends call me Mae. And you're hummingbird's brothers. Good to finally meet you in person."

"Hummingbird? Who the hell are you talking about?"

"You really are just the pretty one, huh? What a shame. Anyway, gotta run. See you around, boys!" She says and waves over her shoulder, walking away.

Once out of hearing distance, she dials a number too familiar to her "Y/N's on board. Starting phase 2."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY FINALLY REUNITED!!! WOHOO! That sure as hell was a long time coming. I am really curious to see what you think of the new original character. Maeyra (spoken may-ra) has been a dear character from another fanfiction I've been storing in the back of my mind for several years so I brought her along to this one.


	14. Chapter 14: "Hello My Old Heart"

 

The windows are stained with the remains of the storm that had rolled through in the late hours of the night.

Like the weather, your storm has calmed as well. The raging sea containing the nights spent alone, the hatred towards Klaus and bloodlust calmed to a soothing, smooth as a mirror ocean, where only the breeze forms tiny, patterned waves.

You feel your heart beating like it hasn't for a hundred years, almost as if your heart is saying, "hello old friend, miss me?"

You cannot even begin to fathom it the warming feeling of tranquillity settling in your bones.

Neither can Kol as he traces his fingers over the delicate skin over your shoulder blades.

Your head is propped up on his chest, resting on your arm. Clothes are scattered on the safehouse's smooth concrete flooring, leaving a trail to the enormous bed. You could barely keep your hands off each other when you finally found Mae's safehouse.

Kol's eyes are entirely focused on you, hanging on each constellation of words that come out of your mouth, puzzling together to moments he couldn't experience with you. Still, he listens intently, his lips curved into a smile while you tell your tales.

"And that's how I came back here. Hunting your brother and a decoy. It was a mess."

"Forget the diamond." He says and you look at him with the most surprised look, making him laugh "I'm here, we're here and nothing comes close to paradise. Not even a life with Nik lying in a box."

"So we're just letting him get away with it?" You ask, more than curious about his sudden change of plans.

"No. We lie in wait, let him bask in safety - that's when we'll strike."

"Stabbing him in the back, huh? Sounds dangerous and absolutely insane." You say tracing your finger over his bare chest " I love it."

"I knew you would."

"But enough about your brother. We can finally do whatever we want, let's not waste it with talking about him."

"Whatever we want?" Kol raises an eyebrow "Then I want to do this" He tucks at your arm resting on his chest with care, pulling you into him. He plants kiss after kiss on your lips, melting into each one.

"I think we done that plenty." You try to get out in between his mouth devouring yours.

"Don't tell me you're sick of me already?"

"Never in a million years." You trace your fingers over his skin, the raindrops reflecting on it with the first light of the rising sun. He'is breathtakingly beautiful.

"What?" He asks, your persistent gazing awaking the butterflies in his stomach.

"You're handsome"

He raises his eyebrow and you could swear there's the slightest blush on his cheeks. "Shouldn't I be the one complimenting you?"

"Hey, you deserve compliments too. Especially when you look so... luscious."

"Luscious?" He chuckles.

"Luscious." You lean in and he closes his eyes anticipating your lips on his, but you pull away as they're about to touch, rolling off the bed to grab Kol's shirt on the floor. It's still the same shirt he wore back in 1914.

"You're evil " Kol sighs in frustration.

"Or hungry. Probably both. No, definitely both." You wink at him before disappearing out of the door, the scent of Kol's shirt accompanying you the whole way.

Kol smiles, drops his head back on the pillow, the realization of your reunion only now setting in, burning in his chest with such intensity he fears he'd combust any second.

He forgot how it felt being with you, and now that he finally experienced it again, he will never let go.

**A few hours earlier at the Boarding House**

Stefan's finger is hovering over your name on the bright screen of his phone, hesitant to gather the courage to call you. There's this tightness in his chest he can only interpret as guilt on how he handles things.

Yes, he is still angry, and yes he cannot believe that you are the cause of his and most of all, Elena's suffering. But then again, your actions are no different than anything he or Damon have done in the past.

He brings his thumb down, then up again, then down once more before he gives up and throws the phone behind him, landing on his bed.

You probably would not have picked up anyway. Or at least that's how he rationalized it.

The sudden sound of Damon cursing loudly downstairs startles him, his interest peaked.

"What is this?" He asks as he approaches the filled table

"Not now, baby bro, I'm researching."

The sheer amount of opened books and excessively hammering on the keyboard startle him. Damon is not the type to excessively do anything besides drink or throw sarcasm around. But researching? On his own? Never.

"Researching? You?" Stefan says, rounding the table.

"Ha! I found something. Maeyra Cain, tried by the nine covens and sentenced to death by hanging in New Orleans in 1719. Yeah, obviously not true." Damon scoffs "A delinquent witch, huh? Interesting."

"Why are you googling Y/N's friend?"

"First of all she's creepy, second of all, she shows up right when the original family ditch their coffins? A little suspicious don't you think?"

"Don't tell me you're worried about Y/N's safety."

"I'm not."

"Clearly." Stefan points to the several books on the table.

"Shut up and get back to, I don't know, grooming your hero hair. I have work to do. " He waves him off but Stefan doesn't budge.

"Damon. "

"What, Stefan?!"

"If you're so worried about her why don't you talk to her?"

"Why don't you?" He counters and takes Stefan's following silence as agreement to the fact that he too is still holding a grudge "Exactly. Now stop breathing down my neck."

Stefan leaves the room but looks back once to see Damon pick up his phone hovering over presumably your phone number as well.

The fact that Damon is worried about the company you keep is a very good sign he might come around in the end.

Maybe there's hope after all.

 

**Y/N | Safe House**

You didn't actually get to enjoy the much of your "meal" because Kol swept you off your feet, literally, which eventually resulted in slow dancing in the enormous kitchen, an old-tunes radio station softy playing in the background.

"Where do you want to go first?"You say, lifting your head that was nuzzled in his neck "Back to New Orleans or Rome, maybe Greece? Uh, we could start in New York, it'll blow your mind!"

It's more than obvious how excited you are to show him the new world he has yet to experience. You haven't been that full of energy and tranquillity for centuries.

"Everywhere." He says and rests his forehead against yours"As long as you're with me."

"You think I'll ever let you go again? No chance." You shake your head "You're stuck with me."

"And there is not a single soul in this universe I'd rather be stuck with." He says, "Just you and only you."

As his whiskey eyes gaze into yours, the following truth surfaces that has been clear as day for a century: You are, and you will always be in love with Kol. And the most thrilling part about it, he will love you equally, come what may.

The annoyingly alerting sound of your phone that has been lying on the kitchen counter ever since you came back, tears through the magical moment and Kol jumps slightly, not used to sounds like this suddenly appearing.

"Sorry I forgot you're not used to these things." You turn around to get a hold of your phone as Kol's arms already sick around you, his head resting on your shoulder. It seems that he still has to remind himself that your real.

That he's really here.

"It's Mae. She wants to meet both of us. Some kind of emergency." You hoped you would have more time alone before the drama begins. But a promise is a promise, even if she forced it on you. That's just how she is.

"Way to ruin the moment." He groans, annoyed by her interference.

"I know that you two didn't get off to the best start, and Mae is well...Mae, so I understand you might not be her biggest fan, but I trust her. And you trust me, right?"

"More than anyone."

"Then trust me that I know that she's not here to hurt us, okay? Besides she's not that bad if you get to know her. Once you crack that shell of hers, you'll like her as much as I do."

"Okay. I will try to be....more considerate."

"Good. Now, as much as I hate to say this, you should probably put a shirt on."

What a shame indeed.

Mae said to meet at a diner on Route 20 that's leading through Mystic Falls.

"Is this proper attire in this century?" Kol asks looking down at his, in his eyes, modern clothing as he walks up the steps leading to the diner "Seems..informal."

"That's the point. People don't usually wear suits anymore unless it's a special occasion."

"Tell that to Elijah." Kol snickers and opens the door for you, a gesture others might find strange in this day in age, but you always found it flattering.

"You want a booth?" The overly energetic waitress asks as the doorbell subsided after your entrance.

"Actually we're meeting someone." You say looking around the packed diner "Dark hair, about yay high, looks like she wants to rip your throat out with her teeth?"

The waitresses welcoming smile drops, and she points down the long checkered-tiled hall "Last booth on the right."

You finally spot her, flipping through the large menu on the table. She looks up as you approach the table,

"There you are!! I went through the menu 4 times already. This diner sucks." She says as you slide into the red leathered booth.

Kol follows behind, sighing, visibly uncomfortable by Mae's presences. Something about her seems to rub him the wrong way. However, perhaps the century-long daggering made him only paranoid.

"Ain't happy to see me I take it?" Mae asks when she senses Kol's discomfort.

"I don't like you." He says bluntly. He can't ignore how on edge he feels around her, almost the same intensity when he's around Klaus, which is almost hysterical because she couldn't actually hurt him in any way. Unlike his brother.

"So?" Mae scoffs without any emotional indication "I don't need you to like me, matter of fact, most people don't."

"Mae, just get to the point." You interrupt, knowing she would give one of her speeches if you didn't "What's going on? Why are we here?"

She slides over a white card, the word Invitation plated with gold on the front "Seems like mommy dearest decided to throw a party. And she wants to talk to you." Mae says as you flip the card, the words "I believe it's time we got formally introduced - Esther" scribbled on the back.

"To me, why? And how did you get this?" You ask as the waitress comes over but Mine just waves her away. She's never been very polite.

"Because believe it or not, I'm invited as well." Mae flips another invitation on the table "Both of you invitations came with mine. As for why she wants to talk to you, well, it ain't good, that's for sure."

"Let them have their pathetic party, we're not setting foot in that house." Kol throws slides the card back over the table, dismissing the idea to join his families gathering.

"Oh, no we're definitely going." She and looks at you " We had a deal, remember?"

"A deal?" Kol asks surprised, not knowing why you haven't mentioned it earlier.

"Look, I thought you would never come back so I agreed to help her before leaving town. We can still leave after this. One last hurrah, and we're gone, okay? Besides, when have you ever declined a party invitation?

He didn't. But this gathering isn't like any other. He fears the worst if his mother comes into contact with you. And he'll be damned if he let anything happen to you.

"Fine, but if I hear more than a rumour about hers or my families intention, we're leaving."

"Just to ease that worried mind of yours," Mae says, "you're barking up the wrong tree here. You don't have to worry about my intentions. I'm on your side."

"That remains to be seen," Kol replies, staring at her with slightly narrowed eyes that usually makes his opponents blood run cold.

"Can we talk about the plan, please? You do have one, right?"

"Have you met me? I always have a plan. And this one is very simple." Mae says and leans back "Esther already wishes to speak to you, so you need to tell me everything she says. "

"And you care, why?" Kol asks, not sure why she wouldn't be interested in what his mother had to say.

"My interest is irrelevant. I'm here to keep that coffin of yours open and empty, and to ensure that no harm befalls you two or your family."

"But why?" You broach the subject again "Why do you care about Esther's scheme? IF she's even planning one. It's not like it personally affects you."

"It does. It affects all of us. I heard that her lacky Finn was spotted gathering supplies for a spell and considering she's one, one of the most powerful witches alive and second, a Mikaelson has me suspicious." "No offense." She says and briefly looks at Kol "I rather know what she's up to than remaining clueless."

"Whatever my mother is planning, she won't succeed." Kol states "Not a spell nor a reunion."

"We'll see, won't we? Anyway, you know what to do. Go get dressed up; there's plenty of clothing back in the house. I need to get out of this greasy dump." She tucks the menu back into the holder "See you later."

You and Kol look at each other, knowing that your plans to leave town just got postponed for at least an evening. An evening in the lion's den once more, this time with a pride of them in one house.

It's gonna be one hell of an evening, one way or another.

The foyer of the Mikaelson Mansion is already packed with waiting and chatting people reaching all the way to the large closed double swing door. There's champagne everywhere, as are decorations, typical to a Mikaelson party.

"I already loathe this." Kol mumbles, followed by a deep exhale.

He scans the room quickly before he spots Mayor Lockwood talking to Damon. He recognized her from a picture you showed through the quick briefing back at the house.

"Mayor Lockwood. We haven't formally met." He takes her hand and plants a kiss on her hand to impress her "Kol Mikaelson. I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it."

Damon holds out his hand as well, pretending they haven't met already "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?"

Kol looks at his hand and but doesn't shake it and rather intertwined it with yours instead "I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out." He fakes a smile and brushes past him, their shoulders colliding.

"Did you see his face?" You chuckle, covering up the fact that Damon didn't even acknowledge you, nor addressed you back there. He seemed even more distant than usual.

You walk further into the reception area, arms intertwined as Mae steps out of the shadows like she usually does "Whew! You two look sharp I like it!"

"You cleaned yourself up nicely as well."

"To be honest, I'd rather wear boots under this dress, but one needs to blend in once in a while, right?" She says, overlooking the crowd behind her  "Or not"

You follow her gaze and immediately roll them at the sight of Elena, wearing the most enormous ball gown in the room "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Oh, this is gonna get interesting."Mae smiles feeling the drama already rising, just how she likes it.

 _It will be interesting indeed. However interesting might be the understatement of the century in this case_.


	15. Chapter 15: "A Party Never Killed Nobody"

The tension in the air rises but quickly torn apart by Finn, ascending from the stairs, talking to Elena.

"Uh, I don't like this." Mae shakes her head.

"it's better than if Klaus would talk to her but still, nothing good." You say, the mere thought of them interacting in a positive way impossible to fathom.

"Speak of the devil and the devil will come." Klaus says, his usual smirk on his face as he ascends from the crows "Good to see you again, Y/N. Maeyra."

"Can't say I agree." Mae replies, watching the crowd, looking at everything but Klaus "If you would excuse me." She says and keeps on walking until she's out of sight.

Interesting. Mae never told what had happened between her and the Mikaelsons, and you didn't ask because you didn't much care for it, you were much more interested in forgetting all about your previous life while adapting to your new vampire lifestyle.

Whatever it was that Klaus did to her, she seems to dislike him more than you do. And that is something you never thought possible.

"Not even she likes you, brother." Kol snickers, fairly amused "You've lost your touch."

"Hardly."

It's probably the best idea to keep these two as far away from each other as possible. Fire next to fire hardly ever results in anything remotely successful. Unless burning an entire city to the ground is counted as successful, in that case, both Klaus and Mae are very much known to do that on occasion.

"Now, would you look at that," Klaus says, looking over your shoulder.

You follow Klaus diabolic smile, seeing Stefan appear among the crowd, dressed in a tux as well. He appears to be Elena's date. Elena whispers something to him and he follows her gaze, colliding with yours.

His lips almost curve into a smile before the moving crowd reveals your current companions, most of all his nemesis, and his smile falls. You cannot quite make out the exact expression on his face due the distance, but there is no doubt that must think that you switched sides.

And he's not alone. Damon, that followed Stefan's gaze shares the feeling as well.Seeing you with Kol is one thing, but Klaus....that's a different story.

Before he can hold back his burning rage, he walks a few steps towards you and utters; "So you're on of them now? Didn't take long."

One of them. Ouch. As if Damon didn't make you feel enough like a parasite he likes to cut from his life. If that is really his intention, then he should be proud of himself, it's working wonderfully.

But enough is enough.

If he wants to cut all ties, so be it.

"You know, Damon, for the first time I'm not on anybody's side but my own. Not that you would want me on yours anyway."

"Tell yourself whatever you need to. It's not gonna change what you did." Damon spats back, trying to keep the volume down as much as possible despite his anger.

While he has the right to be angry, he cannot possible pain himself as do-gooder Damon. He is not innocent. Nobody is, supernatural beings and humans alike.

"You did as I did several times over, first with Katherine, now with her," You look at Elena behind him, the tone in your voice paired with your glare sends a shiver down her spine "but still, you condemn me for doing the same? You know how people like that are called? That's right, hypocrites. You're a hypocrite Damon. And I refuse to be judged by you any longer."

"That's my girl," Kol whispers almost inaudible, proudly watching a few feet away.

"You know I make no excuses for my actions but I thought after all I've done, after all, we've done, judgement would be zero to none" You look back at Stefan who remained silent as always, not knowing how or if to intervene, even if you'd appreciate the help "I guess I was wrong."

You turn on your heels, leaving behind the thick, shielding cage Damon seems to be carrying around these days. Not that you don't understand that, everyone has a wall to hide behind, a mask that's sheltering what's underneath, but you'd expected to at least get a chance to crack his a little like Kol has been breaking yours with every second he has been by your side.

"Just say the word and I 'll smite him right here, in front of these people," Kol says, appearing to be joking to everyone that might overhear your conversation, but you know he means every word.

"I'd be happy to lend a hand, brother." He says.

"Sounds tempting, but I don't think that'll be necessary." You reply, knowing full well that they'd both do as they said. Without asking questions. Not that you ever thought Kol and Klaus would ever share the same opponent.

If this is how this evening starts, who knows what'll happen?

The sudden clicking of a spoon being tabbed against a flute-glass turns heads left and right, including yours.

"If everyone could gather please," Elijah says standing halfway up the white angled staircase.

"Duty calls," Klaus says and looks at his brother before heading up the stairs. He seems to be as annoyed with the formalities as Kol is.

"You too, brother." Finn reminds Kol as he brushes by.

"Go.I'll be right here." You say, knowing that he'd rather do anything else than stand up there with the family that has never done anything else but lock him away whenever need be.

Once again, something you have in common.

"Welcome, thank you for joining us." Elijah says, looking up the staircase as Esther takes a few steps down "You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom."

With that, people are moving as if compelled, quickly switching rooms.

"Shall we, darling?" Kol asks descending from the steps, playfully bowing down to ask for a dance.

"We shall."

You accept Kol's offered hand, heading for the ballroom.

The first note carries through the room just as find your position, standing in a row, classic to the imminent waltz.

"I haven't danced like this in a long time." You say, taking each step, mirroring the beat of the music "I apologize in advance if I step on your toes."

"As long as you don't start, what was it, 'Ballin the jack', we shouldn't have any trouble," Kol says, the memory of your failed attempt to dance still fresh in his mind.

You laugh out loud at his comment, the loudness of your voice echoing in the spacious room, turning heads of the nearby guests "Oops."

Kol glances over while you scan the crowd, a habit you picked up over the years that seems to not be as easily shaken as one would think.

He cannot help but smile, the remnants of your laughter igniting his own, to a point where he is certain that he can't take his eyes off of you for the life of him. Not that he would mind. He wouldn't care if he'd burst into flames this second, if you and your smile are the last thing he sees.

He could go on and on, explaining the infinite reasons he loves you, but instead, he utters words as simple and as easy as the wind; "I love your laugh."

"I missed it too. There weren't too many positive things to smile about for a long time."

"You might want to start to get used to it. I intend to hear it as often as I possibly can."

"Do you now?"

"Very much so."He says, gazing over the now much more relaxed features of your face "God, I want to kiss you right now."

"Well, I guess you have to wait then, don't you? Formalities and all, besides there's a switch coming up any second."

"What torture. I remember why I despised dances like this." He says just in time to twirl you around, into the next dance partner arms.

"So we meet again." Klaus, out of all people, says as if he anticipated the whole situation.

Of course, you'd have the bad luck to fall into his arms. Who- or whatever pulls strings in the universe must once again have a thing for making you miserable.

"You would think we would avoid each other in this ridiculously massive house."

"Yet here we are." Klaus says, looking over your shoulder to catch a glimpse of his brother who's observing from the distance "You and my brother finally reunited, how very romantic indeed."

"I guess you're scheme didn't work after all. You know, with Elijah turning against you and your mother rising from the grave. Excuse my language, but it seems you're pretty fucked."

"My mother ensured me her forgiveness, thus Elijah will follow as well." He says, seemingly sure of the truth in his words.

"If you say so." You shrug, knowing that if someone has reason to see revenge it's his mother " Did you know she wants to speak to me? Any idea why?"

There's a split second of surprise rushing over his face, his step faltering for but a moment. He doesn't know Esther invited you as well. Alongside Elena, it seems.

"What was that? That look." You ask him and he shortly looks down at his feet, his mask of fake confidence crumbling "You're scared of her. The big bad hybrid IS scared of mummy dearest....I guess this evening was worthwhile after all."

"Careful, Y/N, we wouldn't want tragedy to befall your newly found happiness." He says, back in full swing to the Klaus you know and loathe.

"I asked you this before and now that things have changed I'll ask you again: Aren't you tired of it, tired of all of this fighting between us? Can't we just move past it?"

The sweet taste of dooming revenge laces your tongue as reconciling words spill out of your mouth, soothing your opponent's mind just enough to let him wallow in an early state of security. When that meter fills, and it will, you'll step out of the shadow and strike - just like Kol planned.

You will have vengeance. Just you wait.

"You would deny your as well as my brothers revenge?" Klaus asks, wary of believing anything you're saying.

"Neither Kol nor I are interested in any kind of revenge." You lie with such confidence, you're almost believing it yourself. "We've got what we wanted. Each other. What do you have?"

Just in time, the music falters and another switch is in motion, leaving Klaus uncomfortably staggered with your presented truth.

You turn once again, gently colliding with yet another Mikaelson as your dance partner.

"Good evening, Y/N." Elijah greets you with a nod.

"Evening, Elijah." You return his nod "Quite the turnup you have on that party of yours."

"It appears so."

"Look, before I don't get the chance, thank you, you know, for what you did for Kol. And me."

"It was my pleasure. Niklaus went too far and I sincerely apologize for his behaviour"

"Klaus is a grown man, you don't have to apologize for any of his behaviour. You couldn't have prevented it if you tried."

There is a moment of silence, and you take to look across the room to see how Kol is holding up. He always hated these formal dances, especially now that he is forced to dance with Mae and he seems to be quite annoyed about it.

Your gaze must'be triggered his, and he turns his head too, a short wink followed by a smile carries across the room.

Elijah seems to have caught on as well, an almost unnoticeable smile on his lips ""My brother seems very fond of you. I've never witnessed him this way and I- I wish Niklaus would see that himself. He wouldn't need to resort to such treacherous measures."

"Honestly, I think he does see it. And he doesn't like it. Probably his crippling fear of ending up alone."

"Did Maeyra deliver this information?"

"No, I just know how-.....Wait why would you say that?"

" I assumed she informed you about us."

"She did, but I never really got an answer as to why she decided to spy on you. I figured she just tell me herself but it never came to that, so I didn't ask again. All I cared about is that she seemed to dislike Klaus as much as I do.

"It appears she does."

The song finally comes to an end, the last tunes fading out like a breeze. You bob a curtsy, and Elijah bows down, thanking you for the dance.

"Are you alright, darling?" Kol asks, skillfully moving through the cracks of people.

"Yeah, just some Mikaelson overload I guess."

"Believe me I know how you feel." Kol sighs.

"Good Evening, Ladies and Gentleman." Esther is heard from the foyer and you hesitantly walk outside, the thought of ditching this whole event, especially the talk with her, sounding more and more appealing.

"Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass." She says and promptly a waiter hands you and Kol a slight red coloured champagne. You smell the

"Champagne laced with blood, huh? Not suspicious at all." You mutter loud enough for Kol to hear it, and he laughs.

"It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!" She raises her glass and everyone else follows as well.

"Cheers"

"Cheers, darling." Kol raises his glass to yours, clicking in together before taking a sip. The taste of blood is very subtle, unlike the obvious colour.

"Let's take this outside." Kol whispers into your ear "I heard there is a spectacular view from above."

 

**Meanwhile in the foyer**

Stefan is scanning the crowd, in hopes to locate you. He doesnßt know what it was or why his rage suddenly went away, perhaps it was the sight of you smiling and laughing, so genuine which he has not heard since you were kids. Whatever it was, he feels the need to apologize. It's the right thing to do. And for once, he wants to be the brother you deserve.

Stefan spots Mae near the bar, staring at someone in the distance.

"Have you seen Y/N?"Stefan asks as he approaches her.

"She and Kol went upstairs, probably being their adorable selves."

"Thanks."

"Wait. I am aware that you don't know me and I'm overstepping several lines here, but if you can, try to give Y/N the benefit of the doubt. All she ever wanted was to love and be loved in return. Can you really blame her for following her heart instead of her head for once?"

Stefan nods, and thanks her with a quick smile before turning to leave. With his back half-turned he stops, a question arising

"You really were a witch once?" He asks her, Damon's research this morning still fresh in his mind.

"I see someone has done their research." Mae says, rather impressed " Yes I was a witch once and not a popular one."

With that, Stefan leaves, heading up the curved staircase.

"Any news?" The voice of Mae's partner in crime asks from the other side of the wall, to avoid any prying eyes.

"Not yet. Phase three is still in full swing. Once Y/N talks to her I'll let you know." She says, keeping the volume low " Oh, one more thing, you have to keep your mouth shut. Y/N cannot know. For both our sakes."

"I won't say a word."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the first portion of the Mikaelson Ball. I originally planned to put everything in one, but I quickly realized it would've been way too long. But at least we have to look forward to the talk with Esther, a Stefan x Reader moment and several other happenings at the party. Perhaps we even gonna find out who Mae was talking to. Any theories? ;)


	16. Chapter 16: "Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints"

 

 

"Is this our thing now? Sneaking away from parties?" You ask, sitting on the wide railing on the upper balcony, dangling your feet over the ledge, wrapped in Kol's arms. Your dress is flowing in the wind, the twinkle lights wrapped around the lower part of the railing, shining through the thin fabric of your dress.

"It appears it is." Kol smiles, his thumb caressing your hand he's holding in his grasp "We're much better company than any of these fools."

The sound of chatter and music carries through the open, white painted, balcony door. It reminds you quite a lot of the night you had in New Orleans all does years ago.

"I don't know. I heard Finn is a fun-loving guy." You joke and Kol laughs, knowing that you would most likely bore yourself to death even talking to Finn. He has always been a nuisance.

Kol can only imagine how Finn's hanging on Esther's coattails. Ever the devoted son.

Pathetic.

"Don't tell me I should I be worried about my bore of a brother."

"You know I'll choose you over anyone." You say, turning your head away from his chest, looking up to him.

He smiles, not uttering any words, but you understood all the same. His eyes express what his lips cannot. He lights up with the truth he never thought possible and his inner storm settles, his whole world right in front of his eyes, brought into focus by your words.

In that moment, it feels like nothing can touch you, nothing could even begin to try. Just for that fleeting moment, everything else melts away.

He leans down and gently grazes his lips over yours, the still present butterflies in your stomach drawing circles after circles. His hand grazes your neck and pulls you into him as far as the sitting position allows.

When he pulls away you chase after the kiss, your lips unwilling to let go, before you resettle, looking out on the unchanged scenery.

"This view is breathtaking." You say looking out on the unchanged scenery the dawning sun dipping everything in its way into his golden and soon dark red color as if the sun itself is bleeding away before rising like a phoenix in the early morning hours.

You felt like you bled out too, not sure if was your own shattered heart bleeding through the thinness of your skin, or if it was the blood of your victims. Either way, you've risen from the ashes and Kol did too. And you both have no intention of leaving the golden hours any time soon.

"It is," Kol says, looking at you rather than the view. "Beautiful, magnificent, ravishing...there aren't enough words."

By then you knew that he wasn't talking about the scenery "Ever the charmer, huh? You know, I do love you in a suit too."

"Now simply add a top hat and a coat and we'd travel back in time."

"Is that you want? Travel back in time?" You ask him, the tiniest bit of worry entering your mind. Would he rather turn the clock back then be here right now?

In all honesty, he never thought about it. But what he did consider is that if he had the opportunity he would'have walked a different path.

But that's the tragedy of choices. There is no chance to turn the clock back, no way of lowering the curtain of the past to slip through it. Still, he would'have prevented everything from happening. He would've never let you walk the earth alone for so many years.

But there is no such thing as time travel. The only thing he can do is keep you happy. And he made a vow to himself that he will do just that, even if it means bowing down this brother. He would do anything.

"No." He answers finally "I'm happy right here, as long as you're with me."

"Oh, you won't get rid of me that easily. You're stuck with me."

"Good." He smiles, pressing his stubbled jaw against the side of your head.

"As long as we don't get that house I dreamed about we'll be fine," You say and Kol's blood runs cold " It was so weird and..ordinary. It looked like it was ripped out of-"

"An episode of desperate housewives." Kol completes the sentence.

You sit up abruptly "What the hell? Did you have the same dream?"

The many possibilities of the origin of that dream run through Kol's head, but the only conclusion he can find is that the dream might not be a dream at all

"I think it was not a dream, rather a vision." He Says.

"A vision for what? For being human?" You theorize, only the thought of being human seems comical to you "That's not possible. Why would anyone show us that, let alone some random witch spirits?"

"I don't know."

"Probably just a prank. I would get bored if I'd be trapped in that creepy house too." You say, wiping away every other possibility. Everything else would be too crazy, right?

"But it doesn't matter who it was, we will happy anyway. I know it. We don't need to be human for that.

"No, we certainly do not. Besides, we're a prime example of our species, wouldn't you agree? Or at least you are."

"Don't sell yourself short. You're Kol Mikaelson. One of the first vampires ever created, undeniably handsome and strong, and the most charming out of them all."

"And you're Y/N Salvatore, the woman of my dreams, Cunning, beautiful and the only one that I have ever loved. And ever will love."

You melt into a puddle in his hands, his words as truthful as your that follow "I love you too. To hell and back."

Your silhouettes join in for a kiss, the darkening sky drowned by your silhouettes.

Kol abruptly pulls away a few moments later, the presence of an uninvited guest startling him.

"Ever the intruder" Kol mutters to himself and you look over your shoulders.

It's Stefan, standing in the doorway.

You didn't even notice he was there. Kol on the other hand did. He can't relax here with his brother around, so being on edge every second is the only solution.

At least for now.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Stefan begins, visibly nervous " I..uh, can we talk? Please?"

"Sure. "

Kol clenches his jaw, every fiber of his being screaming to stay here. Wouldn't be the first time siblings turn on each other. But even if it's difficult, he has to give Stefan the benefit of the doubt. At least once.

"Look, I, uh...I'm sorry" Stefan says after Kol closed the windowed door behind him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I hurt someone you love without thinking of the consequences. It was a rash and selfish decision."

Stefan shakes his head "If someone deserves to be selfish for once, it's you."He says, looking out on the garden that spreads out farther as the lights illuminates it "I shouldn't have been so angry."

"I don't know if I deserve any of it." You shrug your shoulders " I'm just.. I'm sorry you got hurt in the process. And Damon too. If Klaus wouldn't have come to Mystic Falls a lot of things would'be unfolded differently. You wouldn't have gone on a ripper binge, Elena's aunt would still be alive and I would've never stepped back into your life, tearing down everything you build here."

"No, that's not it..."Stefan says and looks at you, the words not as easily escaping him as he would want "I'm glad you're here."

"Even if I might leave again? Eventually?" You ask him carefully, the plan to travel the world with Kol still present in the back of your mind

"Even then." He nods "You've done more for us than we ever did for you. You deserve to be happy, even if that happiness comes from a Mikaelson."

Tears of relief fill your eyes, the reconciliation as well as the fact that he supports your relationship moves your than you ever thought.

"You're gonna make me cry." You laugh, your vision already blurred by a few tears.

Stefan laughs as well, his tension falling "So we're good?" He asks.

"Of course we are." You smile at him "You're not the one I'm angry with. Damon on the other hand, he always has to open his mouth and criticize everything I do. The good and the bad, and I'm sick of it."

"You know, Damon, he, uh, spend all morning doing a background check on your friend.." Stefan says, and you freeze, not knowing how to process that new information "He might not have the words for it, but he cares about you. He always has."

"I know you want nothing more than for us to get along, believe me, I do too, but it's not working out. It never has and I don't think it ever will."

"You know, you two are similar than you think." Stefan says, truthfully, without any hesitation "Maybe that's why he's so angry. Because he knows he would've gone down the same road you have if it meant saving Elena."

"He really likes her too, doesn't he?"

"He does."

"I'm sorry I catapulted you right back where you started. With Katherine. But I want you to know that I meant what I said back in the creepy witch house; I will always look out for you. Even if I have to run into burning buildings again. No matter where each of us is and even if you'll hate me one day, I'll be there. Always."

"I could never hate you." He shakes his head "And don't beat yourself up. Damon and I we would've come to that point sooner or later. That's what we do. Just....Just try to enjoy yourself tonight. You deserve it. "

 

With the weight off your shoulders lifted, you step into the warm, contrasting room adjoining the balcony.

"I presume you and your brother reconciled?" Kol asks as you approach him and smiles as well, infected by your own

"I think we have." You say, the overwhelming feeling of finally being back on the same page as Stefan, as well as the fact that having Kol here, so close, fills your entire body with bliss. You almost forgot how it felt like.

"Apologies for the intrusion," Finns' sudden voice turns your head "Y/N if you would follow me, please. Esther is ready for you."

"I'll be right there."

Right. Esther. It somehow completely slipped your mind she wanted to talk to you.

"Very well," Finn says and takes his leave.

"It seems everyone wants to steal you away. I don't like it." Kol says, slipping his fingers in between yours, holding them.

"Seems like it, but I'll be fine." You reassure him, hoping it would cover up the agitation that's building up "As soon as we're done here we'll pack our things and go. Just pick a destination and we'll be on our way, okay? I have loads of road trip music to introduce you too."

"I can't wait."He smiles, almost believably at ease, "Be careful." He adds and plants a kiss on your forehead, a token of luck as well as a sign of his undying adoration.

"I always am."

As your hands slip from his fingers, the fear within rising with every step you take. What if you don't return? God knows what his mother is going to do to you. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time fate has laughed in his face.

This time, however, he hopes that it will smile, rather than laugh.

The corridor leading to Esther is narrow, old candle holder still on the walls. Finn is waiting in front of a big double door, opening it. You presume to announce your presence. When he steps aside, however, to your surprise Elena leaves the room,

It felt like time was slowing down as your eyes cross, yours full of distaste, and hers, well, her eyes are full of regret. Perhaps she finally realized that she's not so innocent as everyone claims her to be.

Finn must'be sensed the tension between you, and he clears his throat, gesturing you to enter. Ever so impatient Mikaelsons. Must be a family trait.

"Thank you, Finn." Esther says upon your enter, and Finn closes the door on his way out.

Your senses are punished by the stench of burning sage and the copper smell of blood. What the hell went on here?

"Y/N, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Please sit." Esther gestures to a light colored couch "You must be wondering why I invited you here."

"A little, yeah. But most of all, I'm wondering how you're alive."

"When I died, the witch Ayana preserve my body with a spell. She was a close friend of mine and an ancestor of Bonnie Bennett. That is how I am here, before you."

"So you've been on the other side for 1000 years?" You ask "Probably wasn't a picnic."

"No. It was nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires.

"No offence, but I think it was Klaus way to punish you for lying to him all these years." "Not that I'd ever justify any of Klaus' actions ever, but you know..."

"No matter what or who decided to punish me, there is a way for me to undo the evil I created, matter of fact, the spell is already completed." She holds up at a piece of parchment, a red substance on it, forming what could be recognized as a tree.

Blood. The red substance is blood.

"A binding spell." Esther explains "To undo the evil with the same means I created it."

She bound them together as one. She wants to kill them. But how?

She created vampires with the doppelgänger blood. That's when it hits you. The stench of blood, the guilty look on Elena's face - everything makes sense. She offered her blood to be the undoing of not one but all Mikaelsons, and with that Kol.

Numbness spreads throughout your body, the stomach-turning, fever-hot chill cursing in your veins, staining them. It's happening again. The noose is tightening.

"That's why Elena was here. You needed doppelganger blood."

"I see you are very well informed." Esther says, quite surprised by your knowledge.

"So you invited me here to gloat? To see the look on my face when you destroy my happiness I just got back, is that it?"

"No. I invited you here to offer you a chance to release Kol of said spell." She says her mouth quickly twisting into a triumphing smile at the surprise on your face. "I've watched you from the other side, and it is clear that you preserve the side of my son that I thought lost. I mustn't destroy that."

"But you're willing to destroy everyone else? You turn your children into vampires to keep them safe and alive, just to turn your back on them now? Why?"

"I have to atone for my mistakes." She says, the first time seeming sincere "That is why I offer you and Kol a peaceful life. Like I already showed you in my constructed vision of yours.."

"It was you." You say, the pieces of the mystery of the strange dream finally falling into place "I knew it wasn't just a dream."

"It could be reality, Y/N." She says the sound of her voice meant to bring comfort, yet it's just the opposite "You could live happily ever after, without knowledge of your previous......lifestyle. As humans. That is my offer to you. An offer to set yourself free from the burden my family has set for you."

You never felt comfortable in your own skin, and as a human, it was much worse. There are tales upon tales how vampires hate what they've become, who long for being human again. You couldn't be farther from it.

"All I ever experienced from being human is loneliness, abandonment and the suffocating feeling of being locked in a cell." You swallow, only the mere thought of the close confinement, fueling your claustrophobia "Why would I possibly even think of going back to that when becoming a vampire brought me love and something to fight for? You really think I give all of this up, including my memory, for your fairytale?"

"You would deny my offer simply to resume your bloodshed? Without my son by your side?"

"Even if I would agree, which I am not, I couldn't decide for any life but my own. I couldn't choose Kol's fate when time and time again his fate was chosen for him. I'm not gonna be one of those people." You say, your voice shaking under your breath, barely hearable "If you'd really wanted to save him, he would be here. He's not. You just want me to be in your debt for whatever you've planned next."

"I see you made your decision." She sighs, her plan not working out as she might've hoped "How unfortunate."

"Doesn't mean I won't find a way to undo your spell." You say with full confidence, knowing that anything less would only mean she wins.

"My dear, there is no undoing it. The blood of the doppelgänger bound my children as one. If one dies, all die."

 

_**Meanwhile down the hall....** _

"I was hoping to get you alone." Kol steps out of the balcony overlooking the front of the mansion, his voice echoes in the chilly night, dripping down on the old stone walls.

"Oh, great it's you." Damon says, his voice dripping with sarcasm " The reason my own sister betrayed me."

"Now she's your sister? That's funny, you never seemed to care for her once in your pathetic existence."

"Pathetic, me? What about you? How does it feel knowing that the second Y/N realizes she doesn't have to fight for you she'll get bored and move on? That's what she does."

Kol growls at his words, and lunges at him with force, flying over the balcony's ledge. Damon's head hits the stone flooring, cracking open slightly on impact. He tries to shove Kol off of him, by twisting his neck to the side, but he doesn't stand a chance.

Kol keeps him pinned down, punching away.

"You've done nothing but shove her away time and time again." Punch "Condemning her for her mistakes" Punch "treating her like a dust particle on your clothes " another punch " when in reality you're much worse than she'll ever be."

Damon groans, blood pooling around his head his raven hair already damp with blood.

"Listen to me very carefully." He forcefully grabs Damon's bloodies jaw "If you dare to speak to Y/N like you have ever again, you will live to regret it. You do not want to make me your enemy."

With a flick of his wrist his breaks Damon's neck, the sound echoing in the open entrance area.

He looks up to the balcony, measuring the height he just hurled Damon over. He tilts his head to the side, satisfied with the outcome.

The door swings open just as Kol wipes the blood off his hands on Damon's suit jacket. You hurry down the stairs, tears running freely.

Your step falters for just a moment at the sight of Damon bloodied and bruised on the floor, but your sorrow overcomes every sense of empathy. You collide with Kol's chest, pulling him as tight as possible. Who knows, it could be the last time.

"Y/N....darling what's wrong?" Kol asks, concerned.

"You're gonna die. You're all gonna die." You sob into his shoulder and you could swear you could hear his heart stopping a beat. And not in a good way this time.

In that moment, it feels like everything can touch you, it wouldn't even have to begin to try. In that fleeting moment, everything that melted away comes flooding back.

For once Kol is glad to have his back turned, or his distress would have been obvious to people watching.

And as it happens, they are watching indeed.

"You were right." Mae says, her face half covered in shadows by the upstairs window "Esther is not interested in any kind of reconciliation. If the rumors of the white oak are true, we have to make some preparations."

"I trust you have a plan?"

"Of course I do. I'll keep Y/N in check, you worry about your brother. He seems to lose sympathy as rapidly as you do." Mae says, referring to his altercation with Damon "Watch his back, and not with a dagger this time."

"Now now, love, don't underestimate my ability to play nice. You should know how pleasant I can be." Klaus, her partner in crime says, stepping out of the shadows into the cold night light that's pressing through the glass windows.

"Once perhaps. But you and I were nothing more than partners with the same goal in mind. And we'll do what needs to be done even if everyone hates us in the end." She says and turns to walk away, the work already cut out for her.

"Maeyra."Klaus calls after her "I.. thank you. Without your assistance, my curse would still have a hold over me. I'll remain forever in your debt."

"And don't think I won't collect. Just try not to die in the meantime. Believe it or not this still means something." She says, holding up her hand, her daylight bearing the same design as the Mikaelson's, before walking away, disappearing out of Klaus field of vision.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!! The mystery person is none other than big bad Klaus. A lot of you guessed Elijah (on my tumblr), which pleases me so much you have no idea. It means that my aversion worked out just as I hoped it would ;)


	17. Chapter 17: "Never Be Afraid Of Darkness"

 

****

 

**New Orleans 1913**

The city is buzzing like nothing you have ever seen before. Music as far as the ear can hear, topless cars driving by without rush, every corner different than the one before and people as carefree as the wind - it's truly magnificent. New Orleans is at ease beating with his own heartbeat uncanny from the cities you stepped foot in.

"I knew you would make the right decision." Her voice reaches you first before you can even see her descending among the crowd.

Unlike the first time you met, close to a week ago people don't seem to avoid her. They don't cross the streets, they don't stare, they just move past her, not fazed by anything. She seems to be much more at ease here.

She's home.

And that cradles the green-eyed monster within yourself. Especially now that you've been on your own for the last months.

"That was fast, you do have eyes and ears everywhere." You say, more or less impressed by how far information travels for someone like her.

"And now you do too, considering you're willing to join us." She says, your gaze drifting by her, which she seems to take as a sign of indecisiveness "Not to worry, you do not have to stay if you don't like it."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Follow me then." 

She leads you along St. Peters street as you could gather from the street sign.

A cinnabar- orange colored building stands taller than the others on the intersection, it's multiple floors creating a shadow that's drowning out the daylight on the street. In one of the windows of said house, a figure stands, presumably a man judging by the top hat. The mystery man lingers for but a moment before he closes the curtains.

"I would stay away from that house. Nothing but trouble." Mae says, returning to your side.

You didn't even notice you stopped walking.

"This is your first time in the crescent city, correct?" She asks looking over her shoulder, and you answer with a nod " Then I'll have to give you a tour sometime. You ain't gonna find nobody better to show you around than me. I've been here since the very first day, laying down the first stone in Spring 1718."

1718...that would make her close to 200 years, if not much older.

She crosses the street in a hurry, greeting what looked like traders in front of a shambled bar, the dirt crawling up the cracked walls fading with the orange bricks. You look up to catch a glimpse of the sign above the door, but it's empty. Strange. There seems to be no name set for the bar yet.

When Mae opens the door, the smell of spilled spirits, cigars and old wood dances around you, seeping into every pore. She greets several people sitting on tables, some with revolvers on the table, some reloading them with wooden bullets, others so preoccupied with their gambling they don't even bother to look up.

Mae continues through an archway and halts in front of yet another door, knocking against it in an alternating pattern. The small opening on the top is pulled back, a pair of eyes looking through them, their color not recognizable by the dim lighting.

"Lots of secrecy for someone that recruits people on the streets." You say, just as the door snaps open, a woman on the other end holding the door open for you to step through.

"Believe it or not, we're not the most favored bunch in this community. Or anywhere else really." She says, walking into the open courtyard-like room, the ceiling beams high up her head "Welcome to our HQ."

Several heads turn at your and Mae's arrival, curious eyes scanning you up and down, a collective habit as it seems. The walls are made of patched up bricks that stretches out to the entire length of the room. The edged staircase on the left is accompanied by a dark red wallpaper, the sound of a lone guitar player in the back bouncing off of them.

It all has a shambled feel, which actually is much homier than you'd anticipated.

"I can give you the grand tour later if you want. But this precious one is our training area, gotta know how to defend yourself if you're gonna have a run in with the big dogs."

The fighting area is empty, but the scratched and slightly cracked floor is evident enough that fights must occur regularly.

"So that's what you're doing here? A fight club?" You ask her, trailing your fingers along the improvised stringed fighting area boundaries.

"I wish. But no. People come to us when the mortal or supernatural law fails and they need someone to take out the trash."

_Take out the trash, huh? How very inviting._

"You're hired guns then?" You ask, the revolvers and the all over somewhat brute environment making much more sense. Not that you'd have any prejudices, of course not, but this is different than what you've expected.

The question is, is it different good or different bad?

"You could say that. Though, our currency, however, is not money, it's blood, magical components and most importantly information. Gotta keep all species happy."

"All species? There are witches, vampires AND werewolves living under one roof?".

You never heard of such a thing. There has always been a mutual segregation among the species, how come it seems to work here only?

"Granted we lack a few in the werewolf department, but yes, we're abiding the ancient rules. We're one big dysfunctional deadly family. You'll fit right in." Mae gives you a wink and continues on to another bar counter.

"Howdy boss. What can I do you for?" A dirty blond-haired man asks her, drooling with a southern drawl. The dresshirt he's wearing is crinkled and greased and the suspenders are slightly off. 

All in all, he doesn't seem to care much about it, unlike the somewhat uptight men you'd see dressed outside of these walls.

If your mother would be here now, she'd go ballistic. There was nothing worse than a wrinkled dress-shirt. She would always make sure there were no wrinkles anywhere to be found after you pressed the clothes in the slick stones.

"Howdy? Seriously? Where are we, the wild west?" You mutter, the words slipping out of your mouth before you have a chance to catch them.

"Aren't you precious?" The man laughs loudly, a few tousled strands of hair falling over the side of his face which he ruffles back with his palm "Name's Shank." He says and extends his other hand.

"Y/N Salvatore." You reply and shake his hand.

"Ah, the girl I heard so much about." He says, his pale grey eyes lingering "I ain't gonna lie, you're much scarier in person."

"Me scary? I think you got the wrong person."

He cocks the side of his eyebrow and knowing smiles as if he's see something lingering within that you couldn't.

"Care for a drink?" Shank asks, not dwelling on his silent discovery.

"It's already noon, so why not?" You shrug your shoulders "Bourbon, neat. Please."

"A Bourbon girl, I like you already. Coming right up."

Shank generously fills the glass and sets it on the table all the while preparing another one, presumably for Mae. He slides her glass over the slick surface, landing directly in her hand. The liquid filling the crystal glass is as crimson red as her lipstick.

"Now to your potential mission. You remember what I told you?" Mae asks and you nod "You're gonna observe him." She says and slides a drawn portrait over the wooden table. "Kol Mikaelson, part of the original family, the first vampires ever created. He's the black sheep of the family and most likely cooking up a revenge plan. I need you to observe him, watch where he goes what he does and who he talks to. He's dangerously reckless, so you have to proceed with caution."

"Black sheep of the family and dangerous? Right up my ally."

"Thought as much. With your family history and all."

There it is again. Her strange knowledge of you and your life. How long has she been following you?

"You seem to know an awful lot about me when I know nothing about you." You say, swirling the bourbon in your glass, avoiding to look at her.

"Then shoot. What do you want to know?" She asks, ready to receive any question.

You contemplate on several questions that are worth asking, but one in particular interests you the most, especially because you just lost yours; Family.

"These people here are your family, right? Your chosen one at least. What happened to your real one?"

"Hitting the hard questions I see." Mae sighs "Well, my family and I had a mutual understanding. They wanted me gone and I wanted them dead. So I killed them."

She killed her own family. Who knows what else she's capable of? Perhaps it was a mistake coming here. You look around, searching for any type of exit you could slip away easily when nobody's watching. But there is none. The only exit is the one you came in, walking by several filled tables.

"You killed your own family? Just like that?" You ask her, having no choice but to continue listening to her story.

"Not entirely voluntarily. I was falsely charged with an act of crime that only someone of my kind could commit. And me being the only freak in the village, they blamed me and destined me to be hanged."

"I assume your village has never seen a vampire before?"You say, the word village indicating that she must be much older thanas you first thought.

"No. I wasn't a vampire then." She shakes her head, her I was what people call a shiphoner - a witch without an own source of power. My people, or coven as you could say, only housed a few of us, but by then I was the only one left."

"But yet you're still here, so I assume they didn't go through with it?"

"Oh, no they did. Their hatred of the unknown was proof enough. I was dangling in the wind, with death gripping my feet." She stops to take a sip of her crimson liquid " But unlucky for them the ropes were dripping with power so I used them to free myself. And then I burned everyone. Guilty, innocent, old and young. I turned every witness to ashes."

The memory of that event seems to rattle her. She tightens her grasp around the glass while her face remains unchanged. Lucky for you, you've always been paying attention to the glimpsed other people would ignore. A cruel present your father's violent outbreaks have gifted you.

"That's terrible." You say, just imagining the cries of the dying and rush of guilt after the rage had calmed send a shiver down your spine.

"I ain't no saint, Y/N. Nobody here is." She replies.

"No, I mean that they just blamed you for it, because you weren't like them."

She seems to be surprised at your words as if she expected you to judge her for actions that were fueled by betrayal. But you're not innocent either, so why would you judge her based on one of presumably many mistakes? You didn't burn an entire coven, sure, but you still have blood on your hands. Much more than you'd ever thought possible when you first turned.

"The world is a terrible place, Y/N. But nothing much has changed in that regard, has it? Even the mortals segregate when they should reunite."

She's got a point. There is a war seething among humans right now. Another nasty comment, another dirty look might be the final straw Reuniting instead of segregation is the only solution. On the supernatural and human side.

"That is why I set the foundation for the empire you see today. We are united here. Vampires, Werewolves, witches, sometimes even mortals. You don't have to be ashamed of who or what you are." She says and hits the exact point you'd always struggled with; being ashamed of what you are. A blood-sucking monster. 

There is power and most of all truth in her words, a power that for once seems graspable and truth that should be as clear as day, yet for most, it's overshadowed by a casing of prejudice and taught hatred. You haven't met anyone as free from said casing in a long time. Perhaps ever.

A few hours have passed since you arrived at the Headquarters, and you spend your time roaming the halls before you found yourself in the extraordinarily organised library. There are files upon files of vampires reaching back to the earliest supernatural creatures - the Mikaelson family. All files of the Mikaelson siblings either had a drawn portrait or photograph. All but the infamous Klaus Mikaelson.

Perhaps that's a good thing. You heard terrible tales and you would rather stay away from him as far as possible.

You flip through Kol's file, interested to learn as much about him as possible before agreeing to your mission. Besides his handsome features, he seems to have travelled a similar path away from his siblings.

As you flip to another page, a small piece of paper appears, floating from the high ceiling. It lands directly on the page. It reads:

_Meet me in my office_

_-Mae_

You close the files, carrying them with you to her office.

When you open the partly glass door, the smell of burned paper escapes the room.

"Everything okay?" You ask.

"Oh, Y/N..I...got rid of a few belongings. Burning bridges, closing doors - however you would like to call it." She smiles, her usual striking hazel eyes dull and overshadowed with sadness.

A folded picture on the floor catches your attention, the edges torn and the image on the topside faded.

"I think you missed something." You pick the picture from the floor, without looking at it handing it to her.

"Oh. That's not...thank you. "She says, her gaze flickering to the photograph in her hand. She traces her fingers along the outlines of herself next to Klaus at the opening of the Opera House in 1859. She looks at the camera while Klaus looks at her, the image frozen in time.

"Must be a special picture." You say, pulling out of the trip down memory lane.

"It was. Now it's simply a fading photograph, a reminder that the person you'd take a bullett for can easily be the person pulling the trigger."

She clears her throat, shaking off whatever bothered her about the picture and hands you a stack of cards with a crow printed on the front, contrasting with the light paper.

"This is our calling card. Leave this at any of your potential missions and everyone knows it was us that did the deed." She explains

"A crow, huh?"

"That's what the locals call us. Crows or bringers of death. Appropriate don't you think?"

You turn the card around, reading the Latin phrase that's written on the back "What does this mean?"

"Not fluent in Latin I see? It means "never be afraid of darkness" - an old sentiment I thought fitting."

Never be afraid of darkness. If only someone had told you that all the times you were locked in the basement for protecting your brother, maybe it would've brought you some comfort. But still as silly as these simple words may sound, there is indeed comfort in them.

"You know, I don't get it. Out of what reason do you want me to follow this Kol Mikaelson? There as to be a reason?"

"I was close to his family. And despite past grievances, I don't want to see them hurt. Kol, fairly so, has a thirst for revenge and I need to know what he's cooking up so I can interfere." Mae says, rounding her table to lean on the front "I know this all might be a lot, but give us a chance if you dare. You won't regret it."

"I'll think about it." You reply, not knowing if you should stay, despite how eerily comfortable you already feel. Perhaps it will clear up in time.

"That's all I ask." She says " Now how about I show you around? There's a lot to see in our Crescent City."

The feeling of a excitement washes over you as you step into the blinding heat of the day, a feeling you thought you buried long ago with your humanity. But perhaps after all the grievances in the past, especially with your brothers recently, it's time for a fresh start. Here in New Orleans.

Maybe it was the right call coming here after all. Maybe, just maybe being surrounded by darkness doesn't seem so bad for once....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch what building I hinted at in the beginning? That's right, the Mikaelson Compound. But who was that at the window...hmm.. ;)
> 
> I realize that this does not really contribute to the current happenings of the story, but I felt like there should be a little more background. And I'm a sucker for flashbacks anyway.


	18. Chapter 18: "Walking the Razor's Edge"

_Fear._

A great motivator or the worst enemy. Like love or desperation, it makes you do questionable things. Some precalculated others impulsive and reckless, either way

It's safe to say you, as well as Kol, got wrapped in fear's tight grasps, the realization slapping you in the face, that the moments you will create today might be your last. That is if the rumours of the white oak stake are true.

You spend the night, plotting and scheming, trying to foresee every possible outcome and strategy. What it boiled down to is a plan with help from the unlikeliest allies; Kol's family.

Mae also offered her help, including every sparable Crow member.

But there is one simple question remaining; is your plan good enough?

 

Your fingers tip on the steering wheel, the underside of your daylight ring bumping against the porous leather. The car keys are still in the ignition, dangling with the motions as you bring the car to a hold in front of the Grill.

The wind is utterly still and the sun shines high in the sky with not a single cloud in the sky. But as it is with weather like this, there's a storm already lurking to drown out the sunshine. Just a change of temperature and the pendulum would swing the other way.

Funny how the weather reflects your current situation, as if who or whatever is in charge is holding up a big bright warning sign.

Yesterday, everything seemed so clear and it felt like things might be okay for once. And now,...you're back where you started. Another enemy to outsmart, another fight to endure, another war to win. And you wonder if your relationship with Kol would remain the same if the wars were over. If there wouldn't be enemies to outsmart and fights to win, would you be the same?

"Y/N." Kol's voice doesn't quite reach you in your tunnel vision "Darling, stop."

The touch of his hand pulls you back to reality and you're met with a worried, but outworldly kind

"I'm sorry, I- " You take a breath "We're walking on the razor's edge her with all of this and I can't help but-"

"But to wish things were different," Kol says, sharing the same feelings.

"Yeah. Is it so I just want to floor this car and get the hell out of doge."

"Perhaps we should." Kol shrugs. He knows that the apple pie life vision his mother orchestrated won't be reality any time soon, if at all, but he wants nothing more than to give you a moment to breathe. Because you seem desperate for a moment of utter serenity. And so is he himself, preferably as far away from the family that has nothing but forsaken him time and time again.

But for now, there's no escaping any of it.

"What about your siblings? If even one of them... " You can't even finish the sentence, so horrid the thought "I can't take that chance. I can't lose you again."

"You won't lose me." Kol says, much more confident that he feels "This will not be the end of us."

"But- "

"It won't." He shakes his head.

"How do you know? It wouldn't be the first time fate screwed us over. Actually, I can roll out a list if you want."

"A plan orchestrated by your brilliant mind accompanied by my wickedness can't possibly fail. Besides, if you're half as determined like you were the first time I saw you, we have nothing to fear. "

"The first time you saw me I was scared shitless by your reputation. Little ordinary me against the infamous Kol Mikaelson. I was anything but determined."

"You're anything but ordinary, you're a miracle. But that is not what I meant." The confused look on your face raises the edges of his mouth into a smile "I saw you arrive in New Orleans with Mae. I didn't know who she was, but I knew at the first glance that you'll be trouble. I couldn't have been more accurate"

"Hey! I'm not that bad." You extend your arm tp give him a slight push.

"You are. You have me wrapped around your fingers" He intervenes his fingers with yours, and brings it to his lips to press a gentle kiss on them.

"Don't tell me you're complaining."

He shakes his head "I would never."

"Good." You smile at him and all the worry seems to be drowned out, like the short moment of silence when you're passing under a bridge when it rains.

But this moment is as fleeting as the cover of the bridge. This time, however, it's the clocktower in the distance, turning to another new hour.

"I guess it's now or never, right?" You sigh.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The Grill is deserted, just like you wished it to be. Matt wasn't keen on leaving his workplace to you when you called him mere hours before opening, but the prospect of innocent people being harmed or killed if anyone tries to attack would be exceptionally worse.

"Have I mentioned how much I dread this town? We could be on the other side of the earth by now. Maybe at a beach somewhere with toes in the sand, or high up a mountain yelling profanities in the wind.....wouldn't that be nice?"

He laughs "And we will do just that."

"If we survive dealing with the evil queen and her devil son."

We...a word so simple and comforting yet so terrifying and skin-crawling at once. Kol must admit that he would never be tired of hearing it.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" You go on "Trusting him I mean?"

 _No._  "For now it has to be."

The door swings open, your entire being tensing up as you anticipate an incoming threat.

As it turns out you're not far off classifying the creature stepping in as exactly that.

"Speak of the devil and the devil will come," Klaus announces himself.

_Oh, how he loves an entrance._

"Nik, you made it!" Kol calls with a fake smile on his lips.

His excitement almost sounds believable. Almost.

Klaus looks around the empty chairs and booths, much to his displeasure. He wouldn't have had anything against a little bloodshed.

"And here I thought you two know how to have fun. What a pity." He says

Having Klaus with you most likely is the worst part of your plan, but he's the one with the most targets on his back. You have to do whatever you can to protect him as well.

"We do, but we don't want to trouble any bystanders with your presence," Kol replies, barely capable of standing his brother's company.

Klaus, on the other hand, laughs, taking Kol's obvious truth of how he feels, as a joke. Or at least he's pretending to take it as that. With Klaus, you never know his true intentions - one thing you despise most about him.

"You're an awfully good mood considering your mother wants to kill you."

"Some might be scared in the face of death, me, I revel in it."

_Liar._

You saw the surprise in his eyes when you told him about his mother's plans yesterday, at the ball. He's scared shitless and you can't help but feel the slightest bit amused.

"So are we gonna day drink, or what?" You hop off the barstool on and walk behind the fully stocked bar. Numbing alcohol might not be the most genius idea when you're expecting a fight, but what else is there to do? Besides, enduring Klaus presence only works well while not being sober.

Kol changes seats, switching from the far left to the middle to get as much space between you and Klaus. He's not taking any chances.

"So I'm guessing, bourbon, bourbon and for me...bourbon?" You point your finger two both of them and yourself, sliding glasses over the sleek surface, filling them up generously.

The vibrating of your phone alerts you, and you look at it, reading the text message while returning to your seat "It's Mae." You tell your original companions "She still searching for the spell to unlink you, but she might be able to locate the remaining white oak."

"You and Maeyra friends...now there's a revelation I did not see coming." Klaus smiles, tracing his finger on the edge of his glass "People quake only with the sound of her name, never in my dreams would I guessed you, oh so dutiful Y/N, could be one of her Crows."

Crows, the bringers of death...You haven't heard that name in years.

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises." You shrug "But as good as it was, I'm not part of her group anymore, thanks to you."

In truth, there was more to it than that, but Kol's daggering on Christmas 1914 was certainly the turning point.

"What about you, brother?" Kol weighs in, turning the tables on Klaus for once "She seemed to hate you as much as everyone else in this pathetic town. What did you do?"

"Now why would you assume I am to blame?"

"Oh, I don't know, a thousand years of experience?"

If looks could kill, Klaus would'have been buried, dug up and killed once more for good measure

"That's not quite the accurate number, now is it? I remember there were several ...  _dark_  years." Klaus says, the triumphing smile on his face sickening.

Kol knuckles are white with the force his fingers dig into the fabric of his pants, restraining himself from running the plan with his rage.

You grasp his hand holding it under the extended bar surface, and he calms, slowly but surely letting go of the tension.

"How about you don't evade the question and just answer it for once. What did you do?" You weigh in.

In all the time you spend with Mae and her people, she rarely talked about anything regarding herself. There were only a few times where she talked about her past. At that time you didn't mind, you didn't really care either, but considering how she glared at him, you are more than curious

"Well, Maeyra was...difficult to control. I as former King of the Quarter and she the Queen of the Underground did not find common ground."

Those two King and Queen of two kingdoms. Sounds like a horrifying combination.

"And I assume you took something from her like you always do regain said control?" You ask, knowing Klaus' ways to well for comfort. Observing him all those years finally pays out it seems.

"I am afraid so. I took away what she held most dear." Klaus says, his smile fading for but a second. If you don't know him better, you could think it was regret that overshadowed him. But it's Klaus. There is not a single remorseful bone in his body.

"And what would that be?" Kol digs deeper.

There hasn't been much Mae held dear, except her principles and her people. And one other precious part she lost. Her powers.

"You turned her." You conclude "And with that, you took away her powers."

No wonder she couldn't look him in the eye. How could she? He took away her identity, drowning it in blood.

"Yet another victim stuck in your path of destruction, does it ever end?" Kol glares at him, disgusted by his brother actions. Kol'switch affinity makes the matter much worse.

"I presume you'll never know, will you, brother?" His voice is even, but there is no mistaking the deadly intent in it.

You have de-escalated the situation before it gets out of hand.

"Let's not bring up the past. We're here to celebrate our newly found peace, aren't we?" You say, the word peace sickening in Klaus presence "How about we kill time with a good ol' fashioned round of pool?"

"Now that's an idea I fully support," Klaus says, quickly emptying his glass before jumping off the barstool.

Someone seems suspiciously excited.

**A few rounds of pool later...**

The air in the room completely shifted once you've played your fourth round. The tension has fallen to a bare minimum and there were even a few laughs and jokes exchanged.

If someone would've told you, you and Kol would play pool with Klaus you'd probably punch them in the face. And then punch them again for good measure.

Luckily it's all just playing pretend.

Or is it?

Amidst the game, Klaus receives a text message, and he excuses himself for a few moments.

"Is it just me or was too good to be true?" You ask Kol as you join him on the other side of the pool table " He's scheming again, isn't he?"

"Most likely."

Kol can't help but wonder who is on the other end of that text message. Is it his mother? Would Klaus stoop so low as to make a deal to spare his own life?

"I guess we need another bottle then. I'm gonna go and look for the good stuff in the basement. This one is starting to burn a hole in my stomach" You press a peck on his lips "Be right back"

Kol leans on his hand holding the cue, looking at the current alignment of balls on the pool table. One, in particular, sparks his attention. He moves the 8 ball away from the next shot he has his eyes on, giving himself more room to win.

"I was hoping to get you alone," Damon says, the door swinging closed behind him.

"Stealing lines now, are we?" Kol says " And here I thought you learned your lesson.

"Yeah, I've never been the best student." Damon shrugs.

"Very well then." Kol breaks the cue in half "I think I have to teach you some manners."

The sound of breaking furniture reaches through the open basement door, your heart dropping to your knees. Panic fills your veins, as you ascend the stairs speeding into the main room almost dripping over a bloody cue.

Kol lands a hard punch on Damon's jaw, right as you step in, the bones cracking in impact.

All around, narrow gashes cut into the wood floor as though it is soft as flesh. The air crackles with tension, electrified with the polarising emotions in the room.

You're frozen in place, not knowing If you should add to the tension or eliminate it. One strategy turns into two, doubles into 4 and still, you're not moving.

The door swings open and Alaric comes in, armed to the teeth with various weapons including first and foremost a sawed-off shotgun presumably filled with wooden bullets.

Damon that bastard brought backup.

"Y/N, go!" Kol yells as he twists Damon's hand away from his neck. The last thing he wants is you to get hurt because if his unfortunate relationship with his family.

Damon seizes Kol's distraction and lands a punch himself and you shift your weight on the balls of your feet, ready to lunge at them.

"I don't think so" The clicking of Alaric's loaded gun interrupts your momentum "Don't move."

The cold metal presses into your backside, but you don't evade your eyes. You keep them locked on Kol who kicks Damon into a nearby table with his foot. He would be dead already if Kol could bring himself to kill him. But he can't. He knows that you would never forgive him, even though you're not on the best terms with your brothers.

While Damon groans in pain, Kol looks back, your eyes locking.

You share a nod, the silent communication enough to convey your strategy.

It's nothing you haven't done before.

You turn around and grab Alaric's gun at the barrel, pushing it upwards to collide with Alaric's nose. He stumbles back and blood begins to spill from his nostrils.

Alaric might be a skilled hunter, but he lacks supernatural speed.

"I don't want to hurt you. You should leave." You tell him, hoping that for once he would choose his life over his hunter duties.

"Are you alright?" You ask Kol looking over your shoulders briefly, the scene of Damon unconscious on the floor.

"Your brother is relentless," Kol says, moderately impressed

"I know. He's like a cockroach sometimes."

You turn our attention back to Alaric that groaning on the ground. Never turn your back on a hunter - the 101 of vampire survival.

But there's another addition to that rule; never turn your back on a Salvatore either.

Kol's scream of agony feels like someone's scraping your insides with sharp, hot nails. You turn around, just to witness the dagger's tip pierce his heart. He falls to his knees.

"1 point for cockroach," Damon says and gives the dagger another push.

Kol's legs give out and he falls to his knees, the whisper of your name on his lips as he loses consciousness.

"NO!"

Devastation overcomes your whole being as the same words keep repeating in your mind; It's all your fault, it's all your fault, it's all your fault...

If he wouldn't have been distracted Damon would already be unconscious with a broken neck. You did this to him.

_Failure_

_Failure_

_Failure_

A range of emotion fills your being; guilt, devastation, failure - but with them another, revving emotion arises like a lifeboat amidst the ocean;

_Anger._

And anger build out of fear is the most deadly forms of it all.

Not even the piercing pain of one of Alaric's wooden projectiles, barely missing your heart nor the feeling of your knees touching the blood dripped floor distract you from the reviving qualities anger brings.

Your skin feels as if layered with a filter, red-hot burning, tipping the scale

Alaric's boots bend the floor behind you, the tips pressing into your backside.

There's only one strategy remaining: steering the boat against the current. Or to simplify it; to go balls to the wall.

"Game over," Alaric says, his voice slightly muffled as he wipes his bleeding nose with his sleeve.

Your sinister laugh bounches of the walls, the volume surprising yourself.

"Oh, really?"

Ignoring the piercing pain you slide your foot over the floor, colliding with Alaric's feet: He loses his balance, and he falls backwards, his head colliding with the floor. You rip the stake out of your chest with as much care as you can, the groan falling from your lips sounding more like a growl. You throw the stake to the side, the sound of it bouncing on the floor before it rolls away fills the empty room.

You crawl over to Alaric who's lying flat on his back, still heaving for air. You get a hold of the hem of his shirt, yanking him in your direction and you trap his head between your thighs, squeezing the air out of his lungs. Alaric struggles to free himself, his balled fist slamming on the floor as the air drains out of him. He struggles, shifts - even scratches but to no avail.

If you were a mere human, it would take about 60 seconds for them to squeeze another person's air out of his lungs, luckily due to your semi-immortality, I takes much less before Alaric passes out due to lack of oxygen.

You release him and jump to your feet without any struggle.

Now to deal with your backstabbing brother.

"Damon!!" You growl, blood from your pierced intestine spilling from your mouth.

Fury colours your vision red as you growl his name, your voice echoing in the empty room. You pick up Alaric's gun filled with wooden bullets on your way out, your gaze not wavering from your target.

Target....that's all he is at this point.

Damon looks back and your eyes meet. Yours seem darker and scarier in the distance, and he turns around, hurrying to get Kol out of the open door into the alleyway. When he looks back a second time he's met with Klaus hands around his neck, the skin already greying from the joined effect of the dagger.

"I should've killed you months ago," Klaus growls, ready to rip him apart if need be.

"Get your hands off him." You say, your voice dangerously calm as you walk out into the darkening alley "He's mine."

Klaus brows shoot up in surprise. He might have underestimated you after all. He lets go of Damon's neck and drugs out of the line of fire. His hands wrap around the dagger in Kols heart in an instant, pulling it out.

How ironic to see Klaus retract a dagger for once.

You close the distance between you and Damon with a few fast steps until he's pressed against the brick wall, the barrel of the gun resting against his heart.

Klaus watches the scene unfold, observing how far you would go with the upper hand you've been dealt.

"You're not gonna shoot me." Damon shakes his head.

"Oh, you vastly underestimate my character."

In the shadowed alleyway only you can see the look in his eyes as he looks down at the barrel. he's terrified.

_Good._

 


	19. Chapter 19: "Caught in the Storm"

 

"Is this what it's come to? You're gonna shoot me, for _them?_ " The last word out of Damon's mouth is layered with such disgust, you can hear it in his voice.

"And whose fault is that, huh?"

You squeeze the trigger slightly, not pulling it back all the way. Damon switches between looking at the gun's barrel pressed against him, then back to you, then back to the barrel. And then, there it is, the moment all his ego and spite crumble and he finally realizes that you're serious.

Dead serious, in fact.

"Y/N!" A dishevelled Stefan comes running around the building, his clothes torn and his hero hair out of order. Judging by his appearance he had a run in with someone. Was he the one that lured Klaus out of the Grill? He must be.

"What are you d-?!"

The shot cuts through the dimming evening air, swallowing Stefan's words. Damon slumps down on the filthy ground, the stone wall behind him scratching the leather on his jacket.

Stefan freezes in place, not knowing how to react. The only one that's amused by this is, of course, Klaus. He laughs out loud, his laughter bouncing off the walls, just like the gunshot did.

"Shut up."You turn to him and he mimics the closing of a zipper over his mouth, declaring his silence. At least he's listening for once.

"You missed," Damon says, his voice pained and hoarse as his kneecapped knee takes it's time to heal, thanks to the wooden bullet.

"You really think that was an accident?"

If it'd be any other gun, you would'be definitely returned the favour with shooting him near his heart. But with a shotgun....not a good idea due to the enormous spray.

"You know, I don't care what you do to me, hell I don't even care what you do to yourself, but from this day on I am no longer trying to make peace with you. This is it, this is my line and you crossed it. Congratulations."

Footsteps are heard from the walkway above, soon followed by the visual of Elijah's fashionable self.

"Elijah, finally!! You missed the spectacle." You wave at him with the blood sprayed gun. He seems oddly surprised by it "Right I forgot, you're all work no play. Let's get to business then." You turn your attention to Stefan "Tell me where the witches are or I'll have Rebekah kill Elena right now."

"You knew about this?" Stefan asks, his fingers clutching around the bullet, pulling it out.

"Of course I knew about this. It was my idea." You tell him bluntly, the adrenaline of the fight and the anger still cursing in your veins.

Stefan remains squatting on the floor while Damon's blood runs down his finger. He gets up and turns his head. He looks at you like he has never done before. He seems betrayed, angry and sympathetic all at the same time.

_Welcome to the club, brother._

"Just tell me where they are Stef, and we're leaving." You urge him again.

You need to get Kol to a safe place before anyone else shows up, perhaps with another dagger, or worse a white oak stake.

Stefan looks back to Damon and they share a nod "Fine. We'll show you."

Yet another silent conversation later and Damon pulls himself up, limping away with his healing leg. Most of it already healed up.

_What a shame._

"You best go ahead too." You tell Elijah and Klaus "I'll follow when Kol wakes up".

Elijah shakes his head "I'll retrieve the car instead. Niklaus if you would please accompany me."

You can always count on Elijah's sensibility for conflict.

"So everything you said yesterday was a lie?" You ask Stefan once both Originals are out of sight.

"No. I meant every word. But this is our chance to be rid of Klaus. We can't pass that up. It's for the greater good."

"So once again, I am the one that's supposed to sacrifice everything? Just to save a girl that's playing you both like a fiddle?"

"This is not about Elena."

"Isn't it?"

"Klaus destroyed my life. Yours too. Daggering all of them is our chance to be rid of him. Without killing them. "

"What difference does it make? If you haven't realized it yet, the dagger doesn't work on Klaus. You can't dagger him."

Not with this dagger at least, is what you could've added. But he doesn't need to know that. That will remain your and Kol's secret.

"Y/N-"

"Don't. I can't let you go through with this. I can't let Kol suffer more than he already has, even if that means defending Klaus when I want nothing more than to shove a white oak stake through his heart." You breathe out, the visual much more pleasant than it should be "If you or Damon try to attack him or any of his siblings before this spell is lifted, I will have to fight you. Without holding back. And we both know, I'll win."

You turn away, just the hear slight screeching of tires on the asphalt followed by the sound of doors opening. You pull Kol's unconscious body up with one arm, while slipping the other one under his knees, holstering him up.

Vampire strength does come in handy.

Elijah hurries down the concrete stairs, his body gesture offering to be of assistance.

"I got it." You tell him.

Elijah holds the door open while Klaus remained in the front seat. You look through the windshield once you're seated, the light blue colour of Damon's Camaro in the distance.

If somebody had told you, you'd be stuck in a car with not one, but three originals, among them Klaus, you would have probably laughed in their faces.

 

**A few miles down the road...**

The lights of the oncoming vehicles shine bravely into the night, blinding your eyes every once in a while, only to be swallowed by the pricking darkness the moment after.

The light carries through the soft droplets of rain racing down the window, while the sky is overhung with shades of grey. You were right with the storm you predicted, it did lurk around the corner. Both in the flesh and the weather.

Not 24 hours ago you wondered how your relationship with Kol would change once there wouldn't be another war to win, and now here you are, after another fight with him still unconscious in your arms daggered yet again. By your own brother no less.

Something, perhaps it's the uncertainty ahead, pulls your presence into the past, back to a time where unpredictability manifested into something you haven't truly experienced before; love. Or it's the pouring rain that sends you back to a certain time, where your second home, New Orleans, was plagued by rainfall.

**_New Orleans, January 1913_ **

The city was halfway underwater in the winter of 1913. The southerly, prevailing winds from the Gulf of Mexico where moist and thus ideal conditions to prevail the abundant rainfall.

But a little flood did not hold you back of course. You had a job to do, even though that job entailed following one of the first vampires that have ever roamed the earth.

The door to Kol's hideout in the Lafayette cemetery is a jar, the electric lights flowing out of it, followed by swift of burned sage. The light on the ceiling reaching through the shelf throws a patterned shadow on the wet concrete flooring.

Thankfully due to the higher ground, the cemetery and the fields roughly a mile around it weren't flooded, unlike the rest of the town.

He usually leaves his hideout around midnight, either to rejoin his family to not raise suspicion or to indulge in vampire typical leisure activities.

Sometimes he's even burning the midnight oil, blurting music with the gramophone. It's a wonder he hasn't raised the dead in their graves yet.

Right now, however, he seems to just have stepped out. The perfect opportunity to look around. You slip through the squeaky door, the electric light blinding your eyes when you pass the shelves you've seen from the outside.

The room is filled with magical objects to the brim. Every shelf is cluttered with a variety of them. An extensive lab divides the room into two sections, a string of lights hanging from the ceiling illuminates both sides.

Your fingers brush over the several ingredients on the shelves, before taking a look at his music collection. It's mostly jazz, with a few opera's mixed in between.

"People who value their lives usually knock first." The intensity, yet amused tone of his voice raises the thin hairs on the back of your neck " You picked the wrong Mikaelson to mess with, darling."

You turn around, expecting to be introduced to a swift death, but he hasn't moved from his spot. That's a start at least.

"Did I? And here I thought you're the only one that would be interested in what I have to offer"

"And why would I listen to a single word you say? Matter of fact, why don't you run along and report your findings? Give Nik my worst wishes while you're at it."

Kol almost expects to see his brother pop out to shove yet another agonizing dagger in his heart. Or perhaps it's going to be Elijah this time? Or Rebekah? Not that they ever cared before.

"I'm not working for Klaus."

"That's exactly what someone working for my brother would say."

"Well, it's true this time. Otherwise, why would I bring the means to your brother's end? Or at least the next best alternative."

Klaus demise...sounds like music to his ears.

"Who are you?" His voice is calm and collected, yet layer with interest.

"Who I am is not important." You wave his question off"It's what I can give that should interest you."

"What could you possibly give me that I can't acquire myself? I have everything I want. Immortality, inhuman strength, and don't forget my dashing good looks."

"You might have everything you want, except one thing; a handy little object that could put your brother into a deep slumber."

Your word peak his interest immensely and he doesn't care who you are anymore, all he cares about is that mysterious object you are talking about. There's time for war and time for alliance, and you- at least right now- might be the latter.

"I'm listening."

"How do I know you won't kill me once I tell you? I need some insurance." You shrug.

"Well, you'll simply have to trust me, darling "A smirk that usually sends people running appears on his lips, but you.....you don't seem fazed by it. And he's immensely intrigued.

"Oh, I don't do trust. And I'm not anybody's darling." You turn your attention to the shelves on the wall filled with various magical object "Since you're already familiar with dark object I'll just get right to the point. I heard rumours of an object that could immobilize him for as long as you choose."

"A silly rumour is supposed to rid me of my brother? Forgive me for being underwhelmed."

"The object itself might be underwhelming, but the with Kemia altered object paired with a dagger dipped in white oak ash is just the opposite."

"A dagger as a dark object." He repeats, bouncing the idea around in his head "Brilliant. Count me in. "

The chance of being free of Klaus trumps any reason for not trusting you. However, if his paranoia proves itself to be right once more, he can still resort to his usual, more drastic measures.

"Though, I have one request." He says, closing the distance between you "Tell me your name."

"As you wish. I'm Y/N Salvatore."

"Well, Y/N Salvatore; it's a pleasure to meet you and your wicked plan." He takes your hand in his and kisses the top of it.

"The pleasure is all mine." You take in his wicked smile before you turn to leave "I'll see you soon, Kol Mikaelson."

"Wait. Why would you possibly care what happens to my brother?"

"Let's just say, I have my own sibling issues. And I understand your taste for revenge. I have one too, perhaps not as justified as yours but still present. Why shouldn't I help you achieve what I can't? One outcast to the other."

"And how do I know this isn't just a scheme orchestrated by enemies? My brother is certainly not the only."

"I guess you just have to trust me." You reply before slipping out of the tomb, into the dark cemetery.

Kol remains behind, delighted by the prospect of finally serving his brother what was served to him multiple times...

 

This was mere months before the utter life-changing events that unfolded at the Mikaelson's party.

Back then, your plan was crystal clear; Klaus was the bad guy and you and Kol tried to neutralize him.

But now, you joined forces to destroy an even greater evil. And the worst part, for the last hours Klaus was on his best behaviour. Does that mean he's

"He's still not waking up." You speak through the past'a veil that's still coating your eyes as if laid with a filter.

Elijah is the first to speak up as your eyes cross in the rear mirror

"There are slight duration deviances within each occurrence, but he will wake." He says, turning the volume down on the radio that's playing in the background.

"I hope you're right."

The lower volume pulls Klaus out of whatever road-trance he must've been in, and returns the volume back to its original state, much to Elijah's displeasure. He always has the need to one-up his brother, or just to simply do the exact opposite he's doing.

Being the big brother of such a complex family must be exhausting.

"Or it could happen to be the repeat effect."Klaus says, turning his head to the side of the headrest "Afterall, this is not the first incident."

"Right, I forgot who I was talking to." You roll your eyes "Elijah, are you sure we can't just leave him at a gas station or something and pick up an actual dog instead? Would be less annoying."

The muscles around Elijah's eyes tighten in the back mirror, a sign that he most likely thought about that exact scenario once or twice. Who would've thought?

"Now, don't forget who released Kol from his agony inflicted by your own blood, hm? You should be thanking me."

"Thanking you? Are you kidding me? You think pulling out one single dagger erases every backstabbing incident? You forced several daggers in each and every one of your siblings, and you think that's all it takes?" You say, the volume of your voice much louder than before "God, why is everyone such a pain in the ass today?"

"Are you quite finished?" Klaus sighs annoyed.

"You know what, no. You can shove your self-righteousness up your-"

"Children please." Elijah intercepts harshly, the annoyance imminent in his voice "This is not the time nor the place to discuss such.... matters."

"Fine." Both you and Klaus utter in unison, followed by an annoyed glance.

You start to think that teaming up with them was a bad idea. No, you know it was a bad idea, but it takes monsters to kill monsters, right?

Besides, you're no different. You're a monster yourself. If anyone knew you could paint an entire city red with the amount of blood you have on your hands they'd look at you differently. Question is, would they see a mask or the real you underneath?

Did you create the monster or did the monster created you?

"Let's talk about the game plan then." You speak up, needing to get out of your own head " We need to sever the witches link, right? So are you two gonna kill that Abby character or should I?"

The edges of Klaus' mouth tilt upwards for but a second at your before returning to his usual stoic manner.

Was that a genuine smile? Heaven forbid...

"We're gonna target her, right? I rather not harm Bonnie. I like her spirit."

"So do I." Klaus agrees.

"Do you? I heard she almost killed you once. One of the reasons I like her."

"And here I thought we were well on our way to becoming friends?" Klaus says, fakely offended "You did claim to have buried the hatchet."

"Everything I said was true." You reassure him "I'm a woman of my word after all"

_Just not that one._

The sudden rising of Kol's upper body followed by a breathless gasp makes you jump. Even Elijah with his always prepared for everything" attitude stirs a little to the centre of the road.

With blackened eyes and bared fangs, Kol looks around him in panic, the fastly moving scenery adding to his confusion.

"Hey, shh you're okay." Your voice cuts through his panic and he focuses on you, the veins under his eyes disappearing. You grab his hand, acting as the weight to reality. His skin is so flustered, you can practically feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Bloody hell." He clutches his chest with his free hand, his heart still remembering the feeling of the sharp dagger buried in it"What happened?"

If daggering is anything like being impaled with a wooden steak it must burn like hellfire.

"My backstabbing brother happened." Uttering those words hurt much more than you ever anticipated."I'm sure you can relate." You glance at the front passenger seat.

"Oh, such harsh words. You wound me, Y/N." Klaus says, clutching his heart in fake pain "Though correct me if I'm mistaken, but isn't kneecapping your brother as deceiving as backstabbing?" He smiles at the memory of Damon's face when you pinned him against the wall "I have to say, I was rather impressed."

With those words, Kol's facial manner switches from pained to humorous.

"Kneecapping?" He chuckles "You kneecapped your brother?"

"It's not like he didn't deserve it. Besides, me seeing red plus a free access to weapons is never a good combination.

"Oh, those poor souls. Your wrath must've been I'm disappointed I missed all the fun."

"You might get a second round, considering where we're headed." Kol follows your stare the blue Camaro in front. He hasn't even recognized it before. "You know what? I should've never given him that car. My taste is way too good for that backstabber."

"Let me guess, Esther?" Kol asks the prospect of having to deal with his mother is not particularly high on the list of things he enjoys.

"Bingo Bango Bongo.."

One fight after the other, nothing Kol isn't used to. He used to enjoy the thrill of it, now he just wants a moment to breathe, yet he feels like he's being pulled underwater whenever there's even a glimpse of a pause. Will it ever change?

The abandoned witch house is as creepily inviting as it has always been. The signs of the raging fire that destroyed its beauty are still visible, the black soot reaching out of the windows.

If this isn't the place for a showdown, what is?

You open the door before anyone else, hopping out of the just halting car. Before you can even close the door behind you, an ice cold glare bores into the side of your face.

"Ah, the loving glance of family." You say, turning to face Damon's glare "So warm and fluffy."

You keep staring at your big brother, and he keeps staring at you, not one of you wavering. That is until Kol rejoins your side, capturing Damon's glare and returning it tenfold with the blood-boiling anger that'is bubbling inside of him.

Just one little pill at Damon's heart....it would be so easy for Kol to end him.

"Y/N, Kol, if you would please.."Elijah calls out. Yet again, his sense of avoiding conflict is impeccable. Must be the century-long experience with Klaus' short temper.

"Give me one second." You mutter, charging right towards the Camaro.

Damon turns his back on your arrival, leaning against the hood of his car.

_How very...unsurprising._

"So here's the plan."You say, talking to Stefan instead. "We have to sever the link by snuffing one of the witches out. I guess you don't want to harm Bonnie, so it has to be Abby. Question is who's gonna do it?"

If Damon chooses to ignore you, so be it. Not that you care anymore.

"We'll go distract Esther," You explain further "but if you don't want to deal with it, I will. I got plenty of blood on my hands, I don't care about adding more if your precious bond with Elena is at risk.

"No." He shakes his head, actually surprised you care for anything that revolves around the doppelgänger you cannot seem to trust "We'll deal with it."

"Fine then toss a coin or something. We don't have much time. " You say and turn to leave

"Y/N." Stefan says, and you give him a chance to speak "I, uh, what we talked about before-" He looks over your shoulder briefly, trying to find the right words "I get it. Do what you have to do."

The way those heavy words roll off his tongue with ease raise suspicion in your alert mind, but the way his green eyes

"You too. Just please don't-" don't get hurt is what you wanted to say, but instead, you said, "Don't get in my way."

You turn on your heels walking away this time.

You never wanted to be on a different side again. Especially not with Stefan, but he too had his part to play in today's attack. And he will try again because he can't help it. At least that's something you still have in common.

"Ready?" Kol asks when you rejoin the group, pulling you into his side.

"Ready as I'll ever be." You look at your unusual companions "Let's go knock on the witch's cabin, gentlemen."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the first meeting with the reader and Kol is a little late at this point, but I tried to reveal bits and pieces as the story goes along. If that hasn't worked out as well as I hoped I apologize.
> 
> I still hope you enjoyed it. I certainly have writing it (especially the car scene).


	20. Chapter 20 : "Crossing A Line"

 

 

The forest surrounding the burned ruins is dipped in darkness. The only guidance you have is the orange flames on the top of the gently rising hill, and Kol's hand that's holding yours firm in his grasp.

You emerge on the top of the hill next to Kol and Klaus and Elijah right in front of you. The flickering flames of torches fitted as a circle hide Esther and Finn behind the magic boundary.

"That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb." Kol scoffs, glaring daggers at his oldest brother "How pathetic you are, Finn."

"Be quiet, Kol." Esther scolds him "Your brother knows virtue you cannot even imagine."

_Says the witch who wants to kill her own flesh and blood._

"Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity." Elijah weighs in as he steps closer to the circle

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago."

"Enough," Klaus says, the tone in his voice angry, scared and annoyed at once. " All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell."

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you." She looks at each of them briefly before moving on to the next "Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."

"I'm sorry, but this is ridiculous." You step forward, right to the edge of the circle. The magic barrier radiating its warmth to the pores of your skin.

"Oh dear." Kol chuckles. He knew you wouldn't be able to keep quiet. Not that he would ever demand such a thing.

You step forward, right to the edge of the circle. The magic barrier radiates its warmth over the pores of your skin "How dare you decide who lives and who dies? You might be the creator of our species, but you're certainly not the judge of life and death."

"That is what a vampire does, is it not? Be the judge of life and death?"Finn scoffs. The word vampire never sounded so atrocious.

Must be a great feeling to hate oneself so much, the only way out is to eliminate the own species. You almost feel sympathetic. Almost.

"Perhaps, but the world is full of monsters. Not all of them have fangs or claws. If you punish us, what about all the others out there?"

"Us?" Esther laughs "Even with your greatest enemy present you consider yourself equal to  _them?_ "

"We are the same species after all." You look over to your companions, stopping at Klaus who looks over when he feels your eyes on him "Well almost."

"How refreshingly loyal. But doomed nonetheless." Esther replies.

"Doomed maybe. Question is for who."

Esther's seems to be perplexed by your threat hiding behind the words you've just spoken. But a moment later her eyes widen with horror as the magic she and the Bennetts share severs.

"No sisters, don't abandon me!" Esther screams and Finn rushes to his mother's side

Finally, something played out according to plan..

 

\---------------------

While Kol, alongside Klaus, check the surrounding area to find Esther or Finn, you and Elijah are on your way back to meet up with Stefan and Damon.

"That went better than expected." You breathe out in relief "Now we just need to find something to break the link."

"Y/N I.. " Elijah stops midway, "I want to thank you. You chose to stand with us despite the grievances we have caused you."

"There really wasn't much of a choice."

Elijah nods. If someone understands that, it's him.

 

In the distance, Kol emerges on the slight hill, Klaus right behind him blabbering something that Kol doesn't seem to pay attention to.

"I must ask you, and I vow to never ask again." Elijah begins, eying his younger brothers "Do I have to be concerned about Kol's intentions regarding Niklaus?"

He looks at you after speaking this question that seems to lie so heavy on his heart. There is absolutely no doubt that lying right in Elijah's face is nothing one should ever dare, but in this case, it is a better alternative than revealing your true intentions.

"No." You reply, looking directly into his expecting eyes.

~~_But I said nothing of my own._ ~~

"I'll take you by your word then,"Elijah replies, not sure if he can or want to believe you.

"Mother and Finn are gone." Klaus informs as he and Kol rejoin.

Near the parking space, Stefan and Damon emerge from the other side of the hill, Damon's ice cold, and resentful stare

"I'll be right back." You announce. Kol opens his mouth to protest, he doesn't want you anywhere near Damon at the moment, but he swallows his worry.

"I see you took care of it." You cross your arms in front of your chest without realizing it, building up some kind of separation between you and them.

"Are you gonna shoot me again to say thanks?" Damon spats.

You press the top of your tongue against the top row if your teeth, exhaling loudly through your nostrils. He seems to actually mean what he's saying. Great.

"You attacked us, not the other way around, don't forget that."

"Fine, but don't pretend like you wouldn't have killed me if Stefan had not come along." His voice layered with such distaste it's almost unrecognizable

"Damon-" Stefan warns him, growing tired of the constant bickering.

"Just admit it."

"Wait, you actually think I would be capable of killing you?" You ask him, the anticipation of possible answers he could give rising the pressure in your blood.

"Yes."

The quickness of his knocks the air out of your lungs. Your own brother believes you would be vicious enough to kill him.

_Have you fallen so far?_

"Then our relationship is worse than I thought." You barely get the words out, the gut-wrenching sensation of the guilt spreading through your body so sickening you feel like throwing up.

"Y/N.." Stefan begins. He knows that the words that came out of Damon's mouth cut you deep. And they did. It hurt.

 _God_ , it hurt.

Without uttering another word and hands nailed to a fist, you turn on your heels, walking away without even having the desire to look back.

Your heart beats hard against your ribs, the intoxicating and familiar rush of anger pulsating in your veins. You need to put as much distance between this place as possible, or you might actually turn into the beast your brother paints you as.

"Let's go." You say as you walk past Kol, who returned to his usual murderous look that should have annihilated Damon by now.

"Leaving so soon?" Klaus asks as you pass him "And here I thought-"

"I don't give a shit what you thought, Klaus." You cut him off "We're leaving."

Klaus arches an eyebrow at your words, sharing an amused look with Elijah next to him.

"Y/N I understand your desire for peace," Elijah intercepts "However, an additional problem has arisen. Rebekah discovered-"

"I don't want to hear it." You interrupt him "The last weeks I've done nothing but run from one catastrophe into the next and I'm done. We're taking an off day. " You look at Kol and he nods immediately, agreeing to your plan "Call Mae if you need help."

"You heard her, brothers." Kol wraps his arm around your shoulders and the two of you walk away, heading for a set car that's sitting on the side of the road.

 

\--------------------

Hot-wiring the car turned out to be less of a problem then you thought. It has been a while since you've had the necessity for said skill. One of Mae's inner confidantes, Shank, taught you a few ticks back in the day, and it seems you still got the knowledge. Who knew it would come in handy again?

Somewhere between the classic rock blurting out of the speakers and the coming and going of the rain, your anger bled out into nothing but sorrow. It's similar to a fountain pen that's scraping the barrel of its ink and only the fading color stains the paper, resembling nothing of its previous glory.

"Are you alright?" Kol's asks from the driver's seat, his fingers tapping along the rock song on the radio.

_Silence._

"Y/N."

_Silence_

A feeling of agitated anxiety spikes through his whole body. You have done nothing but stare out of the window, looking at passing cars, every street sign whenever the headlights illuminated it and every tree that'is flying by, all in an attempt to avoid looking in his direction.

Had he done something wrong?

"Darling?." He hesitantly brushes his hand over your knee and you flinch at his touch.

"Sorry, what?"

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" Kol forces a smile, getting more and more worried by the second. Who or whatever caused you to suddenly become so full of sorrow will pay a heavy price, that he knows for sure.

"If just been thinking about....."

Everything and nothing at once.

"Did you know that my brothers and I made something similar to an oath like your family did? It was right after we turned, we promised to face whatever's coming together. And now, I just... I think I just now realized that it's just another promise I can't seem to keep."

"They don't deserve- "He digs his fingernails into the steering wheels fabric.  _Anger, rage, fury_ , it always came easiest."They were the ones who abandoned you, Y/N. You are not to blame for the reaction they forced."

"But did they really force it? I've been doing nothing but point fingers at villain after villain, but maybe I need to point it towards a mirror next time." You press your lips together as the last words escape. You didn't mean to say that out loud.

"I'm just so.. torn I guess." You backpaddle " I don't know if I should be running from them and never return, or hold on to that hope that somewhere down the road, we'll finally feel like a family again."

You words struck something inside Kol's mind, something so hidden and buried under decades of dust he almost jumped in his seat.

He too, feels this way, despite what pain his family caused him. Would he ever admit that out loud? No. But the teeny tiniest part of him believes it's true.

It fills him all the more with content that you'll always be there by his side, even if he one days decides to reconcile with his family. There's no doubt in his mind, and he loves you all the more for it. So of course, he gladly returns the favor.

"However you decide, I will be by your side. Always." His hand joins the one on your lap and you immediately interlace your fingers with his, as if you're holding on for dear life.

In many ways you are.

"And I will be by yours. Forever."

He feels like he's floating on the highest of clouds. He was never part of his families oath, "Always and Forever" always excluded him, but this, hearing these words from you is better than anything his family could offer him.

 _Forever_....... how heavenly.

"Let's just keep driving and never turn back." You speak through the momentary silence "Somewhere where no one knows us. Just the two of us."

"Are you sure?"

"No. But right now I just want to pretend that we could just run away. Even just for a little while. "

He knows as much as you do that running away won't be a possibility, at least not while there's still some threat hanging upon his family. But for a fleeting moment, everything seems possible, so he closes his hand around yours and drives along the nameless road, with a plan you don't have or even want to waste time thinking about.

 

\--------------------------

Miles after miles you stop at a somewhat shabby Motel to refuel on the nearby gas station

The red digits on the clock on the side table read a few minutes after midnight as you open the squeaky door of the Motel room. You don't really need it, but the thought of pressing pause on the world to feel the comforting support of a mattress rather than a car seat seems like the right call.

"Well, this isn't quite as bad as I expected," Kol says, and kicks the door closed with the back of his shoe. He walks over to the window and tucks curtains covering the window and brushes them aside.

There's a bar on the other side of the road, the neon sign flickering every few seconds or so. Next to it, there's an abandoned motorcycle leaning against a dirt wall and a run-down gas station, with a half-collapsed roof that looks like it's caving in any minute now.

The sound of something solid crashing against wood grabs his attention and he turns around, startled by the noise. You're sitting on the table in the middle of the room, deep in thought, tipping you daylight ring on the edge.

"Hey." He covers your hand with his own, your agitation slipping away ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"I know." He smiles sympathetically," What you need is a distraction. Come on."

You grab his hand with hesitance, follow him out of the door. You round the building and cross the road only to heading through a swing door with a broken set of glass on the top.

The bar smells like old leather and booze and a very questionable stench you don't even want to begin to imagine where it originated.

"Wow, this place is disgusting." You say, your eyes roaming over the thrown together interior "I love it. But I don't know how-"

"First, we drink. Then we dance. And then..." He gestures over to a very intoxicated pair of men "we  _eat._ "

 

\---------------------------

Heavy rain is pattering down on the streets. The neon lights reflecting in the puddle of water stir and blur as your rushed footsteps hurry over them, a second pair of feet following right after.

You fumble for the motel key in your pocket while Kol places kisses on your skin. But they are not just ordinary kisses, no, they are promises.

I will never leave you again.  **I promise.**

He leaves another pair behind your ear, whispering sweet nothings before moving on to your exposed shoulder, alternating between kissing and nibbling at your skin.

_It's you and me against the world. **I promise.**_

Once the door opens, you hurry inside, closing the door with such force the numbers on the outside falling out of their hinges. You waste no time, pressing Kol against the door, leaving your own promises against his skin.

_I will love you forever. **I promise.**_

Kol gently tucks at your chin, and you lift your head, gazing breathlessly into his eyes that are filled with nothing but love... and desire.

As if pulled by a magnet, your lips collide with his, hungry desperate for his touch, more intoxicated by each other than the alcohol or the blood you consumed.

His hand trails down your arm to your waist, pushing up the fabric of your shirt to grip at your skin before pushing off the wall, only leaving your lips to pull his own shirt over his head, guiding you backwards until you hit the edge of the bed.

And then there's just kissing and biting, scratching and moving - as easy as the wind but as powerful as the storm rolling over the town itself.

 

 

\---------------------

The sun burns yellow against Kol's skin as his eyes flutter open halfway, eyes dilating due to the rays of sunlight peeking through the shutters.

He reaches over, to pull you back into him, but his fingers grasping nothing but the empty bed sheets. With eyes snapping open, he sits up, sheer panic running his blood could, just inches beneath his skin.

The bed is  _empty._

_ Panic panic panic _

His eyes bounce from one item to the next, from the spot where your clothes landed that is now empty, up to the table that is empty too. It is then when his sleep-fogged brain registers the open door, leading out to the small balcony opposite of the windows.

He slips into his pants and heads for the door, instantly relaxing at the sight of you

"There you are." Kol cautiously wraps his arms around your waist and nudges you against his bare chest, resting the side of his face against yours "Hm, the storm has cleared."

"Yeah, it has."

Usually, there is a calm before the storm, but for you, in this moment, it's the calm after the storm. While a storm, depending on its severity can cause destruction, your internal storm has left you with nothing but clarity.

You tried to ignore the line in front you ever since you came back to Mystic Falls, a line to leave the past behind and to focus what's in front of you, rather than what has already come to pass. And that includes Stefan and Damon.

If they choose to pursue their own happiness, then why waste time trying to reconcile what is already lost? On your own no less? To get where you want to be, means crossing said line.

So you cross it. From here on out, there's only going forward. No going back.

And it feels euphoric.

"I'm sorry for being such a downer yesterday." You turn in his arms, facing him "But you know you make me happy, right? So fucking happy."

"You make me so, uh,  _fucking_  happy too."

"That's all I want and need. Just you and me. Fuck everyone else."

"Screw 'em." Kol agrees in his version of an American accent.

"That was...the worst accent I have ever heard." You laugh at his attempt and Kol can't help but let his eyes fan over the curve of your mouth and the little laughter lines around your eyes. He missed hearing you laugh.

"And your laugh is the most beautiful thing I ever heard." He says, tracing his thumb over your cheek with care, before pulling you into a kiss, the sunlight creating a vibrant outline around your connected bodies.

You are so entranced by the sheer bliss you're experiencing, you don't even hear the sound of a new message arriving in your phone.

> **Mae:** Up for a trip to the Mile High City? Got another Gilbert to use for our gain.Call me for details.

_Looks like you get to press pause for a little while longer...._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first draft to this on my road trip by hand. Probably why it's all over the place emotion wise. But I felt like there had to be some kind of emotional response to everything that happened in the last chapter.
> 
> And this was also just an excuse to get as much Kol and reader time as possible. They deserve one day without impending doom hanging upon them, right?
> 
> That being said, what did you think?


	21. Chapter 21: “For Whom Does The Next Bell Toll?”

 

**New Orleans, March 1919**

_Dear Diary,_

_The policemen are utter fools. They've been hunting the wrong person ever since I brought justice upon those who had a hand in creating who I am today. Unbeknownst to them, I am right under their noses, watching and laughing at their incompetence_

_They call me the Axeman. Man........because a woman could never do such harm. Pathetic. Justice knows no gender, no religion - only two sides; the right and the wrong side. And my victims,well, they chose the wrong side. Such poor judgement. I almost feel sorry for them._

_But mortals would not be mortals without the need to blame something out of their control. That's what they need. A monster to blame, when I was nothing but a victim of an even greater evil._

_The next, obnoxious letter I will write, will be as Shakespearean and otherworldly as I can manage - to make the headlines. But I am no monster, it will come with a proposition, perhaps then, they will find what they seek. They called me a monster, so the shall receive one._

_And said letter, will also be my last, for I am done with this city. It brings me no solace to walk the same streets, to breathe the same air as I have with ...him._

_I cannot even bear to mention his name._

_But know, my secret bundled joy of written disastrous deeds, there will come a day where the cause of my thirst for revenge will be headfirst on the chopping block. No matter how long I have to wait, or how tiresome the journey will be, I shall be judge, jury and executioner once more._

 

**_Denver, present day_ **

Kol had been watching you from the distance for a while, enraptured by the easiness in your voice and the intoxicating smile on your lips - all an effect of leaving Mystic Falls behind, of that he is sure. Distance does work wonders.

Or at least your spirit seems to have improved greatly over the last few days ever since you embarked on this journey, all in hope to have Elena's brother, Jeremy, as leverage if Klaus' negotiations don't go as planned.

Kol smiles to himself as your laughter echoes in a random guys living room- he didn't even bother to remember his name. The group of students surrounding you falls into a fit of laughter themselves, amidst the tossed-aside Jeremy Gilbert, who seems especially intrigued. Kol could almost laugh at the irony on how his sister sends him away to be safe and here he is, being watched by you and Kol himself.

Matter of fact, he hasn't stopped watching Jeremy ever since you pretended to bump into Jeremy at the school's library, chatting him up with questions about the book in his hands.

Jeremy seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say, and most of all in you as a whole and Kol hated it. After extensively rolling his eyes at what Jeremy had to say, he couldn't bear to stay in the shadows any longer and intercepted the plan you initiated. He still savours the look on Jeremy's face when Kol introduced himself as your boyfriend. He could replay it in his head a million times and never get bored of it.

"If I hear another mind-numbing debate, I'm gonna shoot myself." You breathe out in annoyance "I forgot how much I hate socializing. Good thing is, Jeremy doesn't seem to enjoy himself either. We're meeting him for baseball tomorrow morning."

"Baseball. Hm, I did always have a particular affinity to baseball bats."

"I thought you might. Come on let's get out of this place. I've had enough of...all of this, to be honest."

 

\--------

The Denver night air was chilly with a slight breeze all the way to the apartment you and Kol have been living in for the last few days. It's nothing permanent by any means, you know that, but pretending to be normal for once was something you could get used to.

At least for a little while.

You rummage through the bag you've picked up on your way to Denver, searching for a wrapped gift you have been hiding ever since you got here. Your fingers brush past a papery texture and you grab it, smiling at the ridiculously bright wrapping paper the store had available.

You hide the present behind your back as you join Kol on the spacious bed on the far side of the room.

"I have something for you." You look at him as he studies your face "A present.."

"What kind of present?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively

"Not that kind of present." You roll your eyes exhaustively, revealing the present behind your back. He rips the paper away impatiently awaiting whatever's hiding underneath.

"This," You say once he opened the rectangular box "Is not just a phone, it's a collection of my favorite music over the decades. I figured you would want to catch up."

Decades. You forgot how long it has actually been. And by the tense look on Kol's face, he forgot too.

"I love it." He says and pulls you in a hug, placing a kiss on the side of your face "Thank you."He adds, even though this gesture, not the object itself, means much more than any words, in any language could explain.

"Not to ruin the moment," You sigh, already regretting what you have to confess "but I have to tell you something." He holds the gaze, studying your face "I got a call earlier. They found another source of white oak."

His smile fades, and you instantly know you said the wrong thing. Up until that moment, he wore a feathery light spirit on the surface, but now it's like you peeled back the layers, reminding him his life is tethered to siblings that never seemed to care if he lived or died.

It is at that moment you decide to take matters into your own hands. There is a way to free him not only from the linking spell but also relieving him of the constant worry and looking over his shoulder.

He deserves that, no matter the cost.

"And with the spell still in place-" You continue

"If one dies, all die."

"You're not gonna die. Not on my watch. But-" You pause," In order to keep you safe, I need to go back. Now before it's too late.

He clutches your hand, the thought of parting ways so soon overwhelms him. If he could he'd keep you close forever, shielding you from everything and everyone that'll come your way. Not that you would need the protection of course.

"Pretty girl to the rescue then it is?"

"I guess so. Maybe it's finally my time to save you for once."

"For once?" He shakes his head, smiling "You've saved me more than I would be brave enough to admit."

You force a smile, blinking away the tears that formed in your eyes. But Kol with his vigilant nature caught the slightest shift in your mood, and he pulls you in another hug, lying backwards until you're stretched out on the bed, your head resting on his chest.

"I don't want to go." You whisper almost inaudible against his chest, breathing in his scent

"Then let me hold you until you have to." He says, caressing your head with a slight brush of his fingers. He's staring at the ceiling, wondering if this is the last time he's able to hold you close to him.

\-----------

You "borrowed"the fastest car you could find instead of just getting any other, determined to make the day-long trip in half the time. Thankfully you weren't slammed by the early morning traffic once you reached Route 24 through Nashville and you managed to slip through most of it without rudely passing slow drivers, cussing like a sailor.

All the while passing mountains and valleys, going more than double the speed limit you couldn't help but contemplate if your decision leaving Kol was a good idea.

You wish for nothing more than to have Kol right here next to you. He would know what to say to make your worry disappear. He'd find a way to calm you down. Something, you realize, you were severely lacking yourself.

However, the path you're headed is better travelled alone.

 

**Hours later at the Mikaelson House**

The plastered surface ripples underneath the worn tires, rattling with the roaring speed as you pull into the Mansion's driveway. You park next to a cherry-red car, presumably Mae's, killing the engine with a push of a button. The thought of turning off a car without the usual key is still something you need to get used to.

You step into the oversized Mansion, that looks even bigger without the decoration filling the room.

"Ah, Y/N!" Klaus says with suspicious excitement, setting the adjoining room through a set of double doors "Where's Kol? Trouble in paradise?"

"Ha, you wish. He's back in Denver spying on little Gilbert, just like you asked."

"Then do tell, what brings you here?"

"Bad news I guess. I heard my idiotic brothers found another source of white oak and knowing them they'll probably come charging in here and we can't have that. So-"

"We?" Klaus smiles, quirking his eyebrow before letting them fall back to their usual resting position "Don't tell me we're a team now."

"Never. I'm telling you this so you can use your annoying, well, everything to hurry this spell along." Unless you want me to take care of it if you're too chicken to deal with it."

"Oh don't you bruise his manly ego any further." Mae says, stepping through the same double doors."He couldn't handle it."

"I think his ego is big enough to handle it, Mae," You say, sharing quick, annoyed look with Klaus "So, are we gonna threaten a witch, or what?"

"Follow me." She says and opens the door again, you following behind her.

As it turned out, completing the spell wasn't as hard as you thought it would be. Once Klaus reminded Bonnie that Kol has Jeremy in his grasp, she more or less willingly completed the spell.

As if on cue, your phone is vibrating with an incoming call, just as Bonnie left the house.

It's Kol.

You look at the display, with your finger hovering over the green answer button. But instead of answering you push the ignore button.

You can't talk to him, even though you so desperately want to hear his voice. He would know something's up and he would come running, and right now, that's the last thing you want to deal with. It's not according to plan. And your plan is all you have.

Without previous warning, a pained scream diverts your attention. Followed by another. And another, one after the other rippling through the spacious halls. You decide to follow it.

You pass the winding stairs, following a blood trail, leading to a blood-covered handle on one of the swing doors leading to the ballroom.

It's probably a bad idea getting involved in whatever is happening behind those walls, but against your better judgement, you open the door anyway. What you see surprises you, but, in a strange way, simultaneously doesn't.

Damon is chained up on a contraption that's reaching from the ceiling to the floor, several bleeding knife wounds covering his bare torso. Rebekah is standing in front of him, a bloody knife in her hand. Klaus and Mae stand next to each other on the far side of the room.

"What the hell is this?"

"It appears your brother used, shall we say, romantic advances to gain information about the surfaced white oak." Klaus says.

"You don't mind, do you?" Rebekah asked with a sheepish grin.

You could reply to that verbally. You have several things to say about all that's displayed before you, but you are not sure you want to waste the time bothering. Damon would not bother either.

Your answer that's best unheard either way, is snuffed out by heavy footsteps walking through the halls.

"Klaus, I'm here! Let's do this." Stefan yells through the halls until he rounds the corner and moves into the

"Oh good, a hero." Klaus chuckles, walking up to him " What do you want?"

"I'm here to make a deal. Eight stakes made of white oak. The part of Wickery Bridge that you forgot to burn."

_The Wickery Bridge. So that's where they got it from._

"Oh and Finn's dead." He reaches for the zipper and unzips the bag and slides it over the flooring with a shove of his foot. "Damon in exchanged for the last eight weapons that can kill you."

"And how do I know there aren't any more left?"

"Because there aren't."

"Let's be certain shall we."

"No." You intervene before Klaus even gets the chance to go anywhere near Damon " I am sure Stefan will tell us now how many there are without any more torture."

"Fine. Humour me then, Stefan. Minus the stake that's in my brother, how many more stakes are out there that can kill me?"

Stefan takes a deep breath and rubs the back of his neck, contemplating which angle would work best.

"Eleven." He says finally.

"Eleven!" Klaus throws his hands in the air, adding yet another unnecessary theatrical aspect to this whole mess "So not eight then!"

"I'll get you the other five."

"Yeah, that'll be nice. Or since you lied, maybe I'll simply compel your brother to chew out his own tongue."

"What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong with you?! Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate, to loathe, a target for all of your anger; so you don't have to turn it on yourself. "

Klaus words, even though they are directed at Stefan, feel like they're chosen just for you. Is that what Klaus thinks he has done? Give you a target to redirect your anger?

"I have given your life purpose," Klaus continues "as your friend. I really think you should be thanking me."

Stefan growls in response and lunged for him, only to be met by your body shielding Klaus from the stake piercing his skin. Stefan

"Would you look at that? Y/N Salvatore on my side against her own flesh and blood." Klaus chuckles, clearly amused "I thought I'd never see the day."

"Shut up." You rip the stake out of Stefan's grasp, holding it in your hand, the sharpened end pointing towards Klaus.

_Just one little move and he would be done for..._

Instead, you flip the stake and hand it to Klaus. This, with Damon captive and Stefan too close to harm, is not the place to carry out this fight.

"Now you only have to get me the other two," Klaus says throwing the stake in the nearby fire pit.

"This is ridiculous." Rebekah walks over to Damon and releases him from the traps. Damon falls to his knees, the dried blood splattering on the stone flooring.

"Nah, this here is exciting!" Mae says, clearly amused by this charade.

"Bring us the stakes. All of them." Klaus Or I will wage a war against everyone you love. I hope I'm being clear"

"Let me deal with this."

"Not so fast. Need I remind you how-"

"No, you don't Klaus." You interrupt him "I know what's at stake. No pun intended. I'll get you all of them."

Klaus narrows his eyes, searching for something -  _anything_  - that prove his suspicion as being truthful.

"If I find that my trust in you has been misplaced, I will make sure you live you regret it. Starting with putting Kol back where he belongs. After all, that's what I do best."

"I want those stakes gone as much as you do." You reply "But don't ever think for a second you get anywhere near Kol with your daggers again. You'd have to go through me first."

"I'm shivering in my boots." Klaus mocks

_You should be. Time's up...tick tock, tick tock.._

You turn to Stefan that's holding Damon up. You slip your arm around Damon as well, resting his on your shoulder "Let's go"

 

**A few miles down the road**

"Okay, I think we're far away enough." You look out of the back window "Good work back there. He actually bought it."

"Wait, you two are working together?"

"No shit, Sherlock. " You reach over to the compartment above the passenger seat, grabbing one of the blood bags you picked up on your way, throwing it next to Damon "Here drink up."

"Who'd you think I called last night?" Stefan adds, briefly crossing eyes with Damon in the backseat.

"Don't think I don't have a bone to pick with you." You tear your eyes away from the road, slowing down slightly in order to focus on the conversation "You went after Finn, knowing full well you'd kill Kol with him. Why didn't you wait for me to give the green light?"

"So what? He's one of them. Good riddance."

Don't break his neck, don't break his neck, do not break his neck...

"Did I talk to you? I don't think so. For once just keep your opinion to yourself."

"I saw an opportunity so I took it," Stefan explains simply

"Don't give me that crap. You could've killed him and you didn't even care." You take a deep breath after speaking those words, swelling down all the anger pent up inside. Now is not the time for anger. Not yet.

"But- " You continue "I also know you just want to make them pay, so that's exactly what we're gonna do."

"That's great-" Damon says," and how are you gonna do that once Klaus has all the stakes you promised?"

"Now that's the important question to ask, isn't it'?"

Stefan looks over just in the moment as a smile he could only describe as intimidatingly sinister rushes over your face "Oh no I know that look. What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, just one thing. Today is the day Klaus gets what he deserves. And it's gonna end two ways; either we make it, or we  _burn_."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! The reader is finally on the vengeance path, with her brothers accompanying her. I think.it's safe to say that it's gonna be....interesting.
> 
> Also, the diary entry is a belated reveal of the date I was talking about in chapter 10. So in case you overread it, the reader is one of, if not the most famous serial killer in New Orleans; The axeman. ;)


	22. Chapter 22: "Error: Sympathy not found"

__

 

_He is getting closer, all fire and fury, thunder and lightning._

_Run._

_Run as fast as you can._

 

_\-------_

You lean against the rough, textured stone wall, staring into the empty self-made prison cell in  _your home_ your brother's home. You walked by it a few minutes earlier, escaping Damon and Bonnie upstairs, arguing over whether or not her spell to alternate the endurance of the white oak will work or not.

She came over upon Stefan's request, and you were surprised she agreed after she learned that you were spying on Jeremy. But her desire to see Klaus punished seemed to have been greater than her dislike towards you.

Not that you would blame her for either.

Heavy footsteps hurry down the stairs above, the third step squeaking as it's weight heavies and slims. Stefan appears in the dimly lit hallway, stopping in his tracks, clearly not expecting to find you down here.

You look at him briefly, before returning to stare into the dark room "I forgot how much this looks like the cellar Dad put me in. "

"Dark, dirty somewhat scary..." He peeks his head into the room "Yup looks like a cellar to me. Any cellar."

You roll your eyes, breaking your serious demeanour with a smile "You know what I mean. It has the same vibe."

"I know, I'm just teasing. Are you still.." He pauses "... scared of them?"

"I'm not scared of them, I never was. I'm scared of being in them." Only the thought of isolation in a dirt hole like this has your head spinning. "Do you remember how Dad left me in that cellar after the fire at the barn, with nothing but a loaf of bread, some water and a bucket, like a caged animal?"

"Yeah. I've never seen him so mad." He nods and tries to push out the bad memories crawling into his consciousness, "He chased me through the house with his letter opener when I tried to steal the keys."

You remember the moment vividly. Stefan's footsteps hammering on the creaking floor above, your father's screams of anger and Stefan's screams of despair.

You push the thought aside, digging up the only positive memory you have from when you were being held as prisoner by your own flesh and blood.

"You know what kept me sane? That little opening right above the door where you would-"

"-Sneak books in." He smiles and looks up to where the opening would've been. "Yeah. I remember. Frankenstein was your favorite, right?"

"Back then I thought that book was fitting. Now, I don't think I can even read Frankenstein without smelling that damp, earthy stench of that cellar."

"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful." Stefan recites the famous line "I always thought that sounded like you." He says, nudging your shoulder with his.

_Where is all this coming from?_

"I'm hardly fearless."

"Going up against someone like Klaus sounds pretty fearless to me."

You cock your head to the side and can't help the smirk that's settling onto your mouth.

"You know when Klaus daggered Kol I felt the same way. Enclosed in walls and desolated - it was the cellar all over again. That's one of the reasons why we're doing this today."

"Hey you don't have to justify yourself, I get it."

"You don't think I'm decades too late for this? Or just some vengeful action hero cliché, whose only purpose is to snuff out his enemy?"

He shakes his head "You're much more than that. But you did kneecap Damon like some type of action hero."

"Right. You think he's still mad about that?"

"Probably," Stefan replies.

"Hm. I should probably apologize. He didn't.......actually no, he did deserve it. But I'm done fighting with him." Stefan'shead snaps over with surprise, he didn't actually think you and Damon would ever be capable of not bickering.

"Anyway," You change the subject "you mind if we go over the plan again? I think I have another, totally unnecessary idea that'll make all of this a little more fun."

 

 

\---------

"Are sure this is gonna work?" You glance over to Stefan throwing the stakes - including one dupe- into the bag.

"I don't know why it shouldn't." He shrugged and hands you Bonnie's infused version. It's the only one that counts anyway.

"If you say so." You tuck the stake away in the inside of your jacket, securing it with a self-made strap you applied earlier to hold it in place. It's further back than any inside pocket and aligned with the lengths of your arm, hopefully disguising itself from any suspicious eyes.

After adjusting your jacket at the collar, you open the lid of a box you retrieved from one of your hiding spots in the house, reaching inside to grab the  _Desert Eagle 44 Caliber_  gun laying inside. You hid a few weapons over the entire house - in case of an attack - when you last visited Mystic Falls back in 94. Back then, it was nothing but a safety measure. Now it finally pays out.

Feeling the confused scare of Stefan, you turn to him "Insurance." You shrug, releasing the magazine with a push of a button. "Obviously it's not gonna kill him, but just in case we need to slow him down a little."

You check the condition of the wooden bullets inside checking the condition of the wooden bullets. They seem fine. Clicking the magazine back in, you aim for a test shot. The muzzle points to one of the wooden tiles on the wall next to the front door as a moving target distract your attention.

Damon. You drop the gun pointed at his head, letting a laugh escape when you see his face.

"Oh great. Another gun." He says, the sarcasm barely covering his shock.

"I could get an Axe if you'd prefer that."You offer, counting how many you actually hid outside and inside the house "But wouldn't that be a huge giveaway?"

"Whatever. Just don't use this thing in the house. Or anywhere else when I'm around." You ready to go?"

Tucking the gun into your waistband, you walk to the door, Stefan and Damon following behind. While walking to the door, you cannot help but let a laugh escape at how ridiculously suicidal this plan is "If Kol knew we teamed up to kill his brother, he'd probably freak the fuck out."

Pushing the thought aside, you grab the handle at the door, swinging it open.

"Would I?" Kol says, standing there with crossed arms and a clenched jaw that promises nothing but trouble.

_Well, shit._

 

_\----_

"You cannot be serious!!" Kol is pacing the hardwood floors, in the living room., rubbing the back of his neck with agitation. He doesn't like the plan whatsoever. Foolish, dangerous, suicidal - those are only the beginnings of adjectives he would use to describe it.

"Why not? It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"Good, evil, deserving or innocent - we are all guilty!" He yells, hardly managing to contain his anger. He takes a breath, then another, then a third until he eventually calms." But this is ludacris. You cannot beat him, Y/N. Nobody can."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, really. And I don't know why you're so mad about this. I thought this is what we've always wanted."

"What we've always wanted." He scoffs, running his fingers over his jaw, breathing out his frustrations "Is that why you called me here? Oh wait, you didn't. You ignored me. "

Now you feel guilty as hell. But you couldn't exactly tell him what you were up to. One, he would keep you away from danger and second, only days prior you promised Elijah that Kol wasn't interested in a sort of revenge.

"Kol-"

He doesn't let you finish. "I thought- I thought you'd at least tell me."

"I wanted to, but I knew you'd keep me here, caged like a bird. And I love you for keeping me safe, but need to do this." You turn away from him, hands grasping around the white oak stake secured inside your jacket pocket " I need to see him suffer.

When you turn back to look at him, it is as if he's looking into a mirror. The determination on your face, the fire and fury bubbling underneath the surface, every so often bursting out in the most inopportune times and the rapid heartbeat thudding like a cannon on the line - everything feels oh so familiar to him.

You're ready for battle. And he knows that there is no evading your plan. He's familiar with you, so he knows you will not let go of this opportunity. Not even he'd begged for it.

And that he understands.

"In that case, take me with you." He says, and takes the stake into his own hand, dropping it back into the bag you pulled it out from. He knows that his involvement would set every remaining bridge connection him to his family ablaze.

He'd be the murderer, or at least the accomplice, of his own brother. It was always a fantasy, a ploy to get back at him on his own terms, but he never thought he would actually do it. Or even being capable of doing it.

"Okay, fine." You nod hesitantly, your eyes involuntarily bouncing around the room, trying to avoid looking at him.

Kol steps forward and runs his hand through the hair on the back of your neck and follows up his gentle touch with a kiss, equal in undying affection.

"I do not wish to cage you in," He says softly, and runs his thumb over your jaw, letting it linger "but I cannot stand the thought of losing you. Not at my brother's hand, nor anyone else's."

You shake your head with a reassuring smile on your face. Reaching for his neck, your gaze drops to the prominent vein that's trailing away like a river to his chest. You follow it down and up again, tracing your finger along the pulsing vein, before locking eyes with him once more "You're not gonna lose me. I promise. I'm sorry for not telling you about this. And I'm also for this."

Before he could process what you just said, his vision engulfs with nothingness. He slumps against your chest unconscious and you drag him over to the nearby couch, gently laying him down, head resting on the pillow.

This isn't how it was supposed to go.

He looks like as if he's merely sleeping, but it only takes a few seconds for you to twist that comforting thought into something much more scarring. He looks like he's laid out in a coffin. Again.

Add the silver dagger, old-fashioned clothing and it would be uncanny from the image of Christmas 1914 that burned itself into your retina.

Another reason, if not the biggest, why Klaus' reign of terror ends tonight.

Whatever it takes.

 

 

\------

"Ah, what a pleasant sight." Klaus says, gushing over the burning white oak in the nearby fireplace "The means to my demise, burning and fading to ash." He sighs in content before glancing over to you " Good job. I must say, I'm impressed. "

"I'm not sure that's a compliment." You reply "You know, I always thought it was funny that the only thing that could kill you is a piece of wood. I mean out of all the things..."

"My mother had a, shall we say, twisted sense of humour." He says, stoking the fire with the fire iron "Oh, that reminds me in case you haven't heard, Esther is back where she belongs. Rotting in a coffin, forgotten to the world."

"She's dead? Already?"

"It appears her visit was short-lived from the beginning." Klaus shrugs, not caring at all what happened to his mother. Again.

"Good riddance." You shrug. Checking your surroundings with your vampire hearing, you make certain that everyone's out of the house, just like the informants you send by the house earlier, told you.

_It's showtime._

"So where's everyone?" You ask, your voice slightly uninterested, not sparking any suspicion.

"Elijah and Mae respectively had to attend urgent business. And my sister...well, she has her eyes set on yet another handsome fool." He sighs That blonde football player. Elena's friend."

"Donovan, really? I didn't know she had a thing for him."

"A shame if you ask me. Humans are so fickle" Klaus smiles briefly before hearing footsteps avert his attention "Ah, the hero returns. You've come to celebrate?"

Stefan shakes his head "I've come to kill you."

"Kill me? Well, that's new." Klaus laughs and looks over his shoulder to the burning pile of white oak "I'm afraid you're a little late, mate."

You study Klaus features, eager to know if his evil mind has any suspicions. But his casual demeanour hasn't changed.

_Good._

"You destroyed my life, Klaus. Everything that I built, you ripped away." Stefan begins his speech, lying on the theatrical a little too thick

"And now you want to destroy me to serve your thirst for revenge? Get in line." Klaus scoffs unimpressed "For a thousand years, countless fools were eager to destroy me, not one of them succeeded."

"They didn't have this," Stefan says, holding up the stake hidden in his jacket.

"How precious." Klaus puckers his lips, taking the entire situation as yet another joke "Come on, have at it." He outstretched his arms, bearing himself fully for an attack.

"This is white oak, Klaus."

With his head canting, and arms dropping, Klaus' stance tenses. Now Stefan has his full and utter attention.

"Is it now? Did she tell you that,?" Klaus says glancing over his shoulder, meeting your gaze "I'm afraid your big sister wasn't quite honest with you." He smiles, sure of his dominance over the situation.

"Was I?" You tease, reaching for the white oak in your jacket. "Or maybe this is white oak, who knows?" Flipping the stake in your hand, you look at Klaus with raw emotion for the first time with, no mask, no lies - nothing.

"Or it's this one," Damon says having just appeared in the doorway, holding another stake.

It's all part of the plan, or rather, part of the charades. Who's to say that murdering your enemy has to be swift and boring? The outcome won't change.

"Or perhaps you lot have grown senile." Klaus says "The white oak is destroyed."

"Let's pretend there would be one left, who, out of us, has it?" Damon throws into the room, hoping Klaus would pick up the bait. If not there would always be plan B.

"Ah, a little game. Very well, I'll play." Klaus almost smiles - smiles as if something good were about to happen. "Let's start with you, old friend. Your sister would never allow you to be harmed and we know how diligent she can be. And you, Y/N," With his back turning to Stefan he takes a few steps, entering your personal space much too quickly "You wouldn't dare oppose me, considering what's - or better who- is on the line. Isn't that right?"

Klaus smiles heartlessly, looking down at you as if you're just another person begging him for pity. But you wouldn't dare. Instead of lowering your head you lift it, a stony glare carved into your eyes.

Eyes narrowed, he studies your face, surprise rushing over his face when you smile at him as if the glare was nothing but a glitch in the system. He backs up,

"That leaves you. The fun brother. Crazy, impulsive, yet you slip through the cracks when needed." Klaus crosses his hands behind his back and leans in as if telling a secret "Just like me. And who would I entrust such weapon than someone such as myself."

"You got me." Damon throws his hands up in defeat.

"Of course I did. Now hand it over and I'll excuse your theatrics. Or I just kill the lot of you. Your choice." He takes his time to look at each of you, before continuing to stare down Damon in front of him "Which shall it be? Option one, or option two?"

With a swift motion, you bury the stake into the mid-section of his back, upper-thrusting the sharpened tip. "I prefer option three."

The stake trembles and vibrates scraping against his rips, piercing his kidney along the way before eventually piercing his heart. Klaus screams bloody murder, breathing in despair as he reaches for the sharpened end pointing out of his torso.

"I thought you learned it by now.  _Never_  turn your back on a Salvatore.  _Especially me._ " As fury colors your vision red, you twist the stake in his heart triggering a new wave of pain "This is for Kol and everyone you tainted with your cruelty. Now it's your time to burn."

As if on cue, the stakes magic takes hold and bursts of new-born flames lapped out of his wound, growing ravenous in seconds. Klaus' knees give out with the pain he endures, and he tumbles to the floor. With his greying hand outstretched, he reaches for your arm, looking at you with pleading eyes, begging you to help him.

But you show no sympathy. Instead, you watch him burn.

And burn

And melt from flesh to bone.

 

 

 

\---------

Your heart is pounding like a cannon in mid-siege when you pull the stake out of his burning body. This makes it official. You killed Klaus Mikaelson, slayer of thousands, and tormenter of your one true love.

You heard what people have said about revenge; best served cold and sweet when accomplished. Yet, you didn't just dish revenge out cold, you went for absolute zero. Zero compassion, zero warning, zero second chances.

And they are right. There is sweetness in this victory, knowing that Klaus will never again have the chance to punish Kol for the fire and fury cursing in his veins, nor for his desire to live free and on his own terms. Never again will he have the chance to torment your brothers or the miserable people in this miserable town. And never again will he have the chance to store away is own siblings while living on without a care in the world.

_Never. Again._

With trembling hands, you turn to your brothers to share your victory,

But it's not Damon's chilling blue, nor Stefan's comforting shades of green that you lock eyes with, it's the paled ember glistening with darkness and despair.

"What did you do?" The distraught sound of Elijah's voice sends ice cold, neck hair-raising shivers down your spine. He's not supposed to be here.

_Just run._

_Run as fast as you can._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This chapter has been hovering in the back of my mind since I started this series. The whole unnecessary theatrics where actually the first scene I thought of back in the early chapter when the reader first has to deal with Klaus again.
> 
> It's not exactly how I wanted it to turn out, but overall, I am pleased with it.
> 
> P.s: It's so bloody hard killing your favorite character, especially in such a brutal way. I'm sorry, Klausy-Klaus.


	23. Chapter 23: “In Search Of Tomorrow”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With victory in mind and a vicious Mikaelson breathing down her neck, the reader learns that revenge and victory always comes with a price…

 

He is getting closer, all fire and fury, thunder and lightning. The wind moves with your speeding form but does nothing to aid you. Rushing through the woods, it claws like a thousand hands. Your feet slip on the wet autumn leaves as you round the corner, the cold evening air shocking your throat and lungs as you inhale deeper, faster.

One more corner and you´re safe.

There it is, in the distance. The Boarding House.

Rushing through the front door you briefly wonder if Stefan and Damon already ran for the hills, leaving you to deal with the aftermath yourself. Wouldn’t be the first time.

“Y/N?” Kol´s familiar voice, asks and you turn around. His demeanour is somewhere between angry and sad as he stands there rubbing his neck. What will he say now if he finds out you went against is pleading to stay your hand.

“We have to go. Now!” You grab him by his hand, pulling him to the backdoor.

You make it about halfway, before the front door smacks against the wood panelling behind it, revealing Elijah´s illuminated silhouette.

At that moment Kol knows exactly what happened. He ushers you behind him, sheltering you with his body. His brother would not harm him. But would he harm you? He cannot be sure.

“Brother..” Kol says, his tone cautious but alerted all the same.

“You gave me your word,” Elijah says, the tone in his voice leaks sadness and just the right amount of seething anger to send shivers down your spine.

“And I didn´t break my word. I told you Kol wouldn’t be involved. He wasn’t.”

Elijah drags his tongue over his bottom lip “And despite my brother’s relation to you, you decided that murdering Niklaus unjust would set you free? I believe you made a grave error in your search for happiness”

“Oh, for god sakes, spare us your indignation,” Kol says, throwing all precautions out of the window. “In your foolish efforts to redeem his soul you´ve grown blind to his wickedness. I haven´t. Nik met the end he deserved. ”

“He deserved death rather than the chance of redemption?”

“It’s no more than he’s done to us. Or have you forgotten the darkness the dagger brings? That aching feeling of being trapped in your own, vicious mind? It’s like an endless death, is it not?”

Elijah doesn’t reply, instead, he reflects his pause to the nearing silhouettes that brace through the fog

“Gentlemen, I suggest you choose your next movements very carefully.”

“You think we’re stupid enough to kill you right now?” Damon scoffs as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. It has. Of course, it has.

“Yeah, no offence” Stefan weighs in “but you’re like a dog in a cage right now. “

“Plus, we don’t want Barbie Klaus on our ass” Damon says, remembering his run-in with Rebekah only a few hours ago.

“More importantly” You add, “We don’t have anything to settle with you. Question is, where does that leave us?”

Kol keeps a watchful eye on his older brother, as Elijah ever so slightly shifts the weight on his other foot. Is he going to attack?

“I did not come to harm any of you, ”Elijah says

“Yeah right.” Stefan huffs.

“I came here to revel in the fact that you, your brothers and everyone Niklaus has turned will not survive the night.” He says, his demeanour running into something more sinister, joyful even “Not even you can undo the fate you designed.

“What are you talking about?”

“When one of us dies, every vampire in our sireline will die with us. Finn’s death was prove. They perished within hours.” Elijah explains ever so calmly “So you see, there is no justice to be had in death, but you will die all the same. Not by my hand, but your very own.”

You feel like as though you have been slapped. Guilt, guilt, guilt - it’s like gasoline in your veins.

“You’re lying.” You grit through your teeth.

“I am a man of my word.” Drawing in a breath he turns to face Kol with a somewhat uncertain look dwelling in his eyes. “I trust you have to say your goodbyes.” With that Elijah bathes in his unwanted glory built of grief and despair and makes his exit,  ignoring Kol’s pleas to explain what he knows.

When Elijah doesn’t reply, Kol steps forward ready to follow him.

“Wait!” You say, grabbing Kol´s wrist “Don’t go. I.. maybe there’s not enough time-“.

.  
“I will come back. I promise you.” He says reassuring you with a smile he could barely force. He has to get to the bottom of this. And fast. Before… No, he doesn’t want to think of it. Not even for a second.  
  
With a kiss on your forehead, he slips out of your grasp, leaving you with only the house draining away, hauntingly reminding you, your life would be nothing but a memory soon.

_Tick tock, tick tock….the clock’s ticking for you now._   
  


———

Nothing but heavy silence is settling around you. The cruel void lies like poison on your skin, digging into coursing through your blood, paralyzing your brain.

You lift your head resting on your crossed arms, letting your eyes glide around your room. The pictures that once graced the walls are now shattered on the floor and with them, a dozen sheets of paper with barely a sentence written on them before they were crumbled up and thrown amidst the chaos. You tried to say your goodbyes on paper in case your time would be up sooner than expected. But you failed miserably. How is one to say goodbye to someone they promised to never leave again?

_So this is how it ends_.

Perhaps all those philosophers, writers and poets were right. Perhaps vengeance demands two graves after all. One for one´s nemesis and another for oneself. In your case, there are thousand more graves you’ll soon have on your conscience, and with them your brothers….and Mae.

You doomed them, to follow wherever monster like you end up. And you doomed Kol as well.

Your petty revenge will launch him into a spiral of undeserved blame. He´ll take the fault on himself, and it will consume him, chew him up and spit him out.

But none of this is his fault.

And you hope you get to tell him before your time is up.

With a heavy sigh, you bury your head your hands, resigning from the world.

This is a mess. A self-created, lethal mess. And the worst is, Klaus was right. That bastard was right, he is always one step ahead. What a fool you’ve been to think you could ever win.

Shifting your head, your daylight ring digs into the side of your face and you look at it, and for the first time, it’s nothing but destains the ring has to endure from your gaze.

“This is only the beginning…..” That is what Stefan said when he handed you this ring, shortly after you were turned. He was electrified by the new lifestyle. Having just killed your father he felt free and newborn.

~~Look where it got us, brother.~~

Without a second look, you slip it from your finger and throw it amidst the chaos and it disappears somewhere in the paper and glass.

_Immortality……..what a lie._

 

——–

_Kol has no_ _fear_ , or none he would ever disclose to others. He holds up his tough front no matter if it’s friend or foe he’s opposed to.

_~~He has no fear.~~ _

Not even death scared him, she has been dancing around him in his most violent times appreciating his work, yet she cannot grasp him and pull him in the deepest darkest depths.

_~~He has no fear.~~ _

But when he looks into your room from the slightly ajar door, his eyes carrying over the created mess, he knows that that’s a lie.

~~He has no fear~~ _He has one fear_ …………..losing you. 

The only one that would never forsake him like everybody else had time and time again. Even though he could never regain the magic he once possessed as a human, the closest he felt to himself was with you.

What is he supposed to do now?

The unintentional shifting of his foot reveals his location and you look up, catching his troubled look.

“Hey.” You smile at him briefly and he gives the door a push and enters the room

“Hey.” He returns, his voice trembling “Where are they?” He continues, referring to the very empty Boarding House.

“They left.” You shrug “ Probably saying goodbye to everyone.”

Kol shakes his head in disbelief but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he joins you on the floor and reaches around your shoulder and pulls you into his chest.

You look at the arms that’s around your shoulders, the red layer of blood that´s covering his healed wounds on his hand, stands out like a light bracing the dark of the night.. Looks like his fists had several rendezvous with a brick wall.

“There’s nothing we can do, right?”  You break the silence and Kol shakes his head, staring holes in the floor beneath him.

You mutter a short string of cursed under your breath   “I should’ve listened to you. I’m sorry.”

“If I hadn’t provoked Nik you wouldn´t -” He pauses, the unspoken words resting on his tongue to poisonous to dare speak out loud   “This wouldn’t happen.”

“This is not your fault. Klaus would´ve daggered you with or without your involvement. This was me and my petty thirst for revenge. None of this is on you. You know that, right?”

When he doesn’t look up, you brush over his harm, effectively getting his attention. You kind of wish you hadn’t. When he looks at you, there´s this bout of emptiness playing behind his eyes.

“I cannot lose you, Y/N.” He says “I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“I know what you’ll do.” Your fingers travel along his arm until you reach his hand and you lift it to kiss the top of them, before slipping your fingers between his “You’ll thrive like you were supposed to decades ago. You´ll travel the world to see what it has to offer, you’ll be free without constantly looking over your shoulder:. You´ll have the freedom you deserve. I’ll gladly die for that if that’s the price.”

“Freedom means nothing without you. The most breathtaking sight, the most thriving cities will be nothing without you next to me.”

“I won’t be gone completely. I´ll look after you from the great beyond. You´re not getting rid of me that easily” You force a smile  “I’ll always be there. If you feel lonely, murderous, sad and everything in- between. I’ll always be there.”

Hearing that means so much to Kol, even though he himself isn´t sure if you’re actually able to watch over him. The books he read on the other side weren´t conclusive, but he hopes you´re right. Oh, how he hopes you´ll be able to see him.

“Listen, when this is over-” You begin, already dreading the conversation you´re about to have.

Kol cuts you off, his heart immediately signing into his stomach at the thought “Don’t.” He puts his hand up in your face, signalling you that he didn’t want to hear what you had to say.

“No, you have to hear this. When this is over, I need you to get to New Orleans and check the Laveau tomb next to your hideout. I left something there for you.”

He furrowed his brow “You left what?”

“Just a few letters I wrote while you were gone. Maybe reading them will feel like I´m still here, you know? There are a lot of them so you won´t run out too soon.” You explain, and Kol nods, unsure if he´d even be able to stomach reading them.

“And there is one more thing.” You continue, leaning over to run your fingers through the strayed ends of his hair, before pressing your lips firmly against his. You felt him exhale through his nose against your skin “I love you; Kol Mikaelson. Always….and I’m sorry we don’t have forever.”

“And I love you, Y/N Salvatore. And I always will.” He replies and seals his promise with a kiss. He kisses you with such desperation, the world falls away. It was slow and soft yet demanding in ways that words would never be.

If this is the last moment you´ll have together, you´d be fine with it. Truly and utterly happy that you had the opportunity to love as deeply as you love him.

Some travel the world or acquire the many riches and will never experience this. Utterly and endlessly being in love. And you pity them, oh how you pity those that will never feel this way. Those poor souls..

“Hey lovebirds!” Damon´s voice from downstairs pulls you apart “Get your asses down here! Now!”

“What the hell?” You groan before reluctantly pulling Kol to his feet.

Kol breathes out, the desire to end Damon´s life prematurely for interrupting presumably your last moment alone, is rising with each step he takes.

But alas, he follows you downstairs, pausing beside you and following your gaze into the living room. Stefan and Damon stand there beside each other, smiling from ear to ear.

“Don’t tell me you cut me out of your last will up there?” Damon speaks up when you enter the living room. ” I heard the paper rustling and just because I’m dying doesn’t mean I don’t deserve a cut.”

“Are you… joking with me right now?? “ You look at Stefan for backup, but he raises his hand, exiting out of the conversation.  “And what the hell is all this?” You gesture to the table covered with a sheet.

“If we´re going out…” He grasps the covering sheet with two fingers and lifts it up, revealing dozens of his most treasured and most expensive liquor “.. we´re going out with a bang.”

The table is filled with a wide range of booze, from bourbon to brandy - everything is available.

“So we´re gonna vomiting our guts out before we bite the dust….” You say while nearing the table “Sounds like a good idea. Count me in!”

While you take in the stock, Kol remains on the edge of the stairs unsure If he should join. Perhaps it would be best if he’d say goodbye now and leave you with your brothers in peace.

Stefan passes him with another, smaller carton of bottles and

“Are you, uh coming in, or…” Stefan asks him, prompting Damon, to get in on the conversation.

“Yeah Mikaelson, you can stand there and watch or you can come and join us.” Damon says, padding the couch opposite of him   “You don’t want to miss me dying, do you?

“You’ve got a point. It’s a shame I can’t kill you myself but…it’ll have to do. ”He says, trying his best to sound witful.

Your hand reaching around his wrist prompts him to push his grim thoughts away, and he looks at you, not entirely sure what you’re about to say.

“I understand if you want to leave. I couldn´t watch you die either.” You say, ignoring the fear that´s rising with the thought of this being the last time you´d see him.

He shakes his head “I’m not going anywhere..“

———

The night went on and the booze was slowly but surely becoming scarce. You all spend several hours just dwelling in the past, telling stories of each of your adventures. Even Kol eventually shared a few stories of his own. Somewhere down the line, the conversation turned into a heated debate after another, reaching from the best vacation destination, right to what decade had the best music.

Just a few hours ago you were ready to move on without Stefan and Damon and you’d even had the means to kill Damon in a fit of rage. Now… you’re spending your last day, hours, minutes with them. Who would’ve thought?

“What are you smiling about?” Stefan asks, sitting across from you.

Kol gives his head a turn and looks over following Stefan’s question.

“Nothing.I just- It’s funny that it takes us dying to be in the same room with each other. But it’s nice not fighting with each other for once.”

That alone is worth dying for.

Stefan and Damon share a look like they’re about to say something but the sudden beacon of light that’s piercing through the mullioned panes of glass distracts them.

“It’s almost morning.” You say, watching the light bathing the dark flooring in a crisscross of iridescent colour. “Do you think he was lying? Elijah I mean?”

Kol shakes his head “ My brother is many things; delusional, relentless, annoyingly loyal -  but he is not a liar.”  There is no way Elijah is lying, Kol knows that, but there is a slight shimmer of hope that he can´t ignore. But that’s the thing with hope, it never did him much good, so why should it now?

The sound of the door opening once more, equally as loud if not louder than Elijah a few hours before, diverts the rooms attention.

Turning your head to look at the door, you immediately turn back with your eyes rolling as the sound of stilettos ruining the old flooring echoes in the living room. That can only mean one thing, or better, one person: Mae. Another person you sentenced to death.

Great. Just what you needed right now.

“Jesus, Mae ever heard of knocking?” You groan.

“Oh, you done look like you had one hell of a depressing´ night with those frowns of yours,” She says, choosing to ignore your previous words “ I should’ve brought some of those silly shirts with- what was it…..cheer up, bitches?”

“She’s funny. I like her.” Damon slurs

“Trust me, it’s not mutual.” She replies, prompting Damon to look like a kid that got his candy stolen.  

“Get to the point, would you?” Kol glares at her as he steps forward to make his presence more known “What do you want?”

“You Mikaelsons and your impatience All brawn and no brains sometimes, it a shame honestly.” She sighs before continuing “ I’m here to tell you to not put dirt on your graves just yet. Ain’t nobody gonna die today.”

“What?” You  exchange a look with Kol of confusion layered with the slightest bit of hope “But Elijah said-”

“I know what he said, but he was slightly misinformed. But there’s somethin´comin´ you won’t enjoy.” She looks at the clock and mumbles a few numbers, calculating something “Judging by the time, it ain’t gonna to take long.”

“Okay, “ You begin “either I´m beyond drunk, or just stupid, but I have no idea what you’re talking-” The sudden urge to cough cuts you off, and you bring your hand up to politely cough into it. But instead of a dry cough, your hand is drenched in red.

_Blood._

You can hear Stefan and Damon step forward to figure out what’s going on, and you can feel their worried stare, alongside Kols, digging into your backside

Trying to grab the couch behind you, you feel another cough coming, and with it a nauseating, hot shiver that´s running through your body. Hoping to get a steady stance, you reach out for the couch behind you while your visions declines and your coughing increases. You miss the couch by a few inches, falling backwards for but a second before crashing into Kol´s chest.

“What’s going on?”  Is all you you could manage to bring out before you couch again, this time covering the floor before you with a steady stream of blood. It feels like you’re drowning in your own blood.

With your brain in overdrive, you feel your vision declining the more blood is coming out of your mouth, before suddenly everything engulfs into black, as if someone flipped of a light in a dark room. You fall back against Kol unconscious, blood dripping from the corners of your mouth.

“What did you do?!” Kol grits through his teeth, as he scoops you up in his arms to lay you down on the couch behind him..

“Not a thing. She brought that on herself.” Mae shrugs without a care in the world “But this is only the beginning…Say goodbye to the Y/N you know and love. She won’t be the same when she wakes up.”   

“Speak. Now!” Kol demands. If she´s not cooperating soon, Kol will resort to deliciously brutal alternatives, no matter if you claim that she’s your friends. He doesn’t care.

“Patience.” Mae says, her voice layer with a tick of annoyance “But first, I have someone here who is dying to talk to you.”

Kol straightens up, as the sound of heavy boots echoes in the hall. He couldn’t see the person’s face at first due to the blinding sunlight, but when he finally does, all he wants to do is run for his life…..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..this is mostly just a filler chapter, something to angst out a little before the drama continues. Also, I pretty much hate whatever I’m writing right now, so go easy on me, would you? :D I´´m trying my hardest bounce back trust me. 


	24. Chapter 24: “All´s Fair and Karma is a Bitch”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprising arrival and new revelations set the reader and Kol on a path of no return..

“Surprised to see me?” Klaus smug smile evokes many feelings in Kol, but surprise? No, Kol is not surprised in the slightest. His brother has always managed to get what he wants, the way he wants. Of course, he would find a way to cheat death.

He looks at his older brother, then back to the couch, stepping in his line of sight. Maybe he would focus his rage on him instead of you. But that’s might just wishful thinking on his part.

“I’m pretty sure you went up in flames..” Damon Mutter, not quite believing his eyes.

“Oh, I very much did. Quite unpleasant, really. But my dear Maeyra used her vast resources to secure my well-being.” He says, moving his attention to Kol “Cat’s got your tongue, brother?”

“Well, brother, I´m not particularly surprised to see you,” Kol replies.

Using the word brother remains to be more of a dismissive term, and Klaus knows that. And he also knows that Kol´s statement is a lie, he didn´t overlook the obvious surprise on his brother’s face. However mischievous Kol remains to be, he has always been a bad liar.

“Can we, uh get back to how you´re even here right now?” Stefan says “We drove a stake through your heart.”

“You?” Klaus scoffs, dismissing their involvement to nothing but a coincident “You, gentlemen, were nothing but a pawn - an accessory if you will- to Y/N´s Shakespearean thirst for revenge.”

Stefan quirks his eyebrows up before letting them fall back to their usual resting position. He could reply to Klaus statement verbally. He had things to say about him, he just isn’t sure he wants to waste time bothering.

“I knew you couldn´t be trusted.” Damon says, averting his words to Mae “Y/N always did have poor taste in friends.”

“Congratulations, you got me. Boohoo.” Mae sighs, before giving Klaus a pleading look “Would you mind? ”

Klaus smiles and vamp-speeds towards Damon standing nearest and snaps his neck, before quickly moving on to Stefan who couldn’t even register what was going on before he too was engulfed in blackness.

“Now, that’s better.” Klaus dusts off his hands, “All talk those Salvatores. Well, except for one. “

“Look, “Kol says, having more pressing matters to attend than useless platitudes, “I´d love to chat about whatever this is, but I have an unconscious girlfriend covered in blood back there, so would you mind buggering off. Your betrayal is not on my to-do list today.”

“Betrayal?” Klaus laughs, fake offended “Don’t be so dramatic, brother. Maeyra and I merely joined forces because you couldn’t keep your girl in line. She helped me lift my curse, I felt obligated to help her. After all, what’s worth dying for if not love?”

Love…Kol could not even begin to associate that word with anything his brother does. It makes him sick to his stomach. Or perhaps it´s the worry about your current condition- either way, he senses a veil of danger in the air. Danger that feels different, blood curling and cold.

What if she’s right and you won’t be the same. But what if- 

He pushes the thought aside. If they want to lay their secrets bare for once, he’ll bite their bait.

“Curse?” He asks “What curse?”

“It ain’t a curse exactly, but you know, it’s six of one, half dozen of the other,” Mae says as she walks further into the room, going straight for your unconscious form. She reaches out, but Kol’s firm grasp on her wrist prevents any contact.

“Hands off. “ He warns and everyone knows he’ll only warn once.

“I could say the same. “Klaus says, the usual charismatic and boastful s voice nothing but a dangerous whisper.

“Oh, so much Testosterone…” Mae sighs under her breath and pulls her hand free from Kol and heads for the bar. The next bit requires booze. And a lot of it.

Kol follows her every move, while also keeping tabs on Klaus. He’s unsure who out of them will screw things up first or who’ll drive him to insanity- whichever comes first.

“Long story short, the magic I once possessed was stored away in here before I became a vampire.” She says and brushes over the scar on her face “The sacrifice of an original was the ultimate source to overpower the protection spell. It was the only way to retrieve said power, alongside rare ingredients I’ve gathered for the last 100 years. This spell was supposed to set my magic free. But someone must have intercepted it. ”

“Wasn’t us.” Kol shakes his head and judging by the look on his opposer they don´t seem convinced. “I never heard of a spell like this. And magic drains away during the transition, how would you retrieve it?”

“Because my magic was hidden away before I was turned, it wasn’t lost like yours was. See it as a loophole, no magic drains away if it’s undetected.”

Kol read about witches hiding their magic in objects, but never in themselves.

“And what about Y/N? She never had powers.”

“Turns out Momma Salvatore had powers of her own. Weak power but enough to pass it on to Y/N. After her birth, she chose to hide her magic within her. She wanted to tell her when she was older, to give her a choice, but she died before she could do so.”

“And do tell, how do you know this?”

“I might have stolen her diary a few centuries ago. Apparently, everyone in this family is keeping diaries.” She shrugs before rummaging around in her bag, “It’s no use to me now if you want it, it’s yours.” She slides the worn leatherbound book over the table.

“Now now, love,” Klaus says and leans towards her as if he’s sharing a terrible secret “don’t skip the best part.”

“Y/N is in transition, fighting a battle in her mind that either leaves her with vampire advantages and witch powers or…” She says, and hesitates for a second “well…..dead. “

Kol feels like someone tightened a noose around his neck. If you look close, you could see the perfected mask of pretend crumbling down and ram emotions taking over. And Kol’s first emotion is always its anger.

He digs his fingertips into the leather, and slowly drags his eyes off the carpeting and states at his opponents, ready for torturing the truth out of them if he has to.

“Before you go all Dexter on me, there is a way to help. But you ain’t gonna like the cost.”

Klaus turns his head at her words, quickly shaking his head “Out of the question. I will not allow it.”

“Tell me.” Kol demands “Tell me what we have to do to save her.”

There’s no question that Kol will do whatever it takes.

No matter the cost.

 

——–

Kol had forgotten how much he used to enjoy watching the sunrise. The light streaming into the living room is bold and free for anyone who cares to open their eyes in the dawn and watch the world awake.

Even when the world was drowning in grief and hardship, the sky remained beautiful. It always gave him hope that if the sun keeps rising, so could he.

Even though his name alone represents darkness, he always found it humorous when the rising sun would shine a light on his bloody indiscretions committed during the dark hours of the day.

But none of that matters, it hadn’t mattered since he stumbled into his life. He doesn’t need the sunrise anymore, he sees the light beneath the darkness on his own now. And he wonders how much good it´ll do him when-

A knock on the doorframe interrupts his thoughts, and he turns his head towards the intruder.

“Still nothing?” Stefan asks, and Kol shakes his head.

Stefan, alongside his brother, woke up in the midst the preparations to ensure your survival. They demanded answers as they do, but soon realized that the cost, however great it is, must be

The only opponent of said plan was, to everyone’s surprise, Klaus.

“The cost is too great, brother. Let her fight on her own.” Is what he said. Of course, his brother would only think of himself if he were in his shoes. Kol didn’t expect anything else. Nonetheless, the plan was executed all the same, with or without Klaus approval.

“It will work, I assure you.” Kol says, the tone in his voice, less confident than he intended “But I have a favour to ask. Do not mention it when she wakes up. She won’t accept it”

“I won’t. Damon won´t either, I´ll make sure of it.” 

Kol nods his head as a silent thank you. Stefan attention bounces around the room, looking at the couch, then back to Kol, before he clears his throat and steps further into the room.

“You know I, uh. I wouldn’t know what I would’ve done if she-”. He pauses, “Just.. thank you for helping. “

“Don’t thank me yet. Y/N will-… you know how she is. She’ll take it out on you when she learns the truth”

“I know. “Stefan sighs and looks over to the couch, suddenly remembering why he stepped into the room in the first place. “Uh right.. I found this upstairs. She’s gonna need it” He reaches into his pocket and hands Kol your daylight ring.

Promptly, Kol reaches for your hand slides the ring on your fingers with care, holding onto your hand afterwards.

“I hope you can forgive me someday.” He says, his voice faint as a whisper.

He didn’t care if Stefan - or anyone else for that matter - heard him.

“I´ll uh,” Stefan clears his throat “I´ll give you some space. Got some things to take care of anyway. My number is in Y/N´s phone, call if you need anything.”

Kol knows he should say something, a thank you perhaps, but he lets Stefan walk away against his better judgment.

 

—

You were out cold for another hour, the only sign of life was your shallow breathing and the occasional wincing. And Kol remained a wreck. He tried pacing the room to calm his nerves, he tried reading and drinking - nothing helped.

So he waited and waited. Then just as the hand of the clock strikes another hour, your hand that’s resting on the sofa balls to a fist and he sees you sit up, breathing heavy.

“Darling?” He asks wearily, rushing to your side. But He’s met with nothing but silence. “Y/N, talk to me.”

“I’m fine, I just…what fuck? I feel like I’m.. honestly, I feel like I’m high on something. Everything feels more vibrant and.. weird.”

Kol smiles and thinks back to the time where he first tapped into his magic it felt like he was surrounded by buzzing energy, ready to be He´d count your reaction as a good sign that the plan worked.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, not having missed the worry on Kol’s face. “What did I miss?

He has absolutely no idea how to tell you the news without either setting you off to everyone involved, presumably raining hellfire upon them, or…….. actually no, that’s his main concern, So he starts with your new and unexpected powers instead. How your mother had witch powers and hid it within your bones. And how the induced sleep intended to kill you but you fought through it. Of course, he left out everything else it intels.

“I think I’m gonna pass out. Witch powers, really? Me?” You scoff, dragging your fingers through your hair, “As if I didn’t have enough problems just keeping myself in check, now witch powers too? How long do you think before I accidentally set something on fire? “

“Not a chance. I will help you take control.”

“You teaching me control? We’re so screwed.”

Kol can´t help the confused look on his face, as he scrunched his eyebrows together and glances at you with concern.

“Hey, I’m kidding. But you should´ve seen your face. “

Kol sighs and it bleeds over to a smile, before disappearing completely. He had a job to do.

“There’s something else, two matters in fact.” Kol continues “But first..what do you say we make good on our promises? Travel the world, just you and me.”

“Do you even have to ask? Of course, I’m coming with you” You reply “Now tell me everything. “

—-

His confidence held up for about 5 minutes before all your emotional stability went out of the window. Once he passed explaining that Klaus is alive and well, he moved to Mae´s indiscretion

Of course, Kol failed in his attempt to keep you calm. By the time he explained his agreement with Klaus and Mae´s..indiscretion, you were out of the door, tracing her down.

Kol said you should let it go, you were lied to, it wasn’t your fault- but your trust had been shattered and you have a score to settle. 

 

“What the hell?!” You yell at her, your voice bouncing off the outer walls of the Mikaelson Mansion. You knew she wouldn´t be far.

“Hell’s right here.” She says, before she´s met with your balled fist. She tumbles back, and laughs “Whew! The infamous right hook. You still got it. “

“You´ve been working with Klaus all this time? After everything, he did to me, to Kol?“

“We all do what must be done, and I’ve done nothing more than profit off of your anger.”

“Do you even hear yourself? Profit of my anger?” You huff, not bothering waiting for an answer “How could you? Klaus ruined my life and everyone´s life he ever touched! How could you protect him? I had him, Mae. I ended this for all of us.”

“And what did it get you, huh? Did you feel better? Did driving a stake through his heart relief you of the pain he caused? Revenge means nothing, and it will give you nothing. Your foolish scheme would have been the end of us, and honestly, you should be thanking me.”

“Thanking you? Are you fucking serious? You sided with my enemy!”

“I saved your life. And you have powers now. That´s a gift, a freedom I searched for decades. You better start being more grateful.”

“I didn’t ask for any of this! I don’t want them and I don’t need them.”

“Well, you got ‘em. And you gotta to use them or they’ll eat you alive. Literally.”

“I know all about it.” You brush her off. Kol told you that the powers demand to be used or they´d claw at your skin until there’s no skin left, 

“Just tell me how long you’ve been working with him.” You continue “Then I’ll do the part where I tell you to go to hell, before we go our separate ways.”

“Shortly after you jumped ship, and joined Kol in his efforts, Klaus came to me asking for assistance and we made a deal. He would do anything he can to rid me of this curse and I will help him set his werewolf powers free. And protect him if anything goes south.

“I´m sorry, is this the point where I’m supposed to sympathize with you? Because that’s not gonna happen. “ 

“You might if you let me finish. “

“You know, I actually thought your efforts were noble when I first joined your community. I thought, hey finally something with purpose, something to make up for what I’ve become. And now I find out everything was a lie? Just another power play with me as the main act? And for what, more power than you already have?”

“Now do get off that high horse of yours. You ain’t the saint you externalize either.” She snaps back but quickly regains her stellar demeanour "But it ain’t about power, it never has been. It’s about being myself without having a part locked away. I deserve that freedom, no matter the cost.”

You almost have sympathy with her, but the fact that she has been lying to you pretty much ever since you´ve met melts any and all sympathy you had.

“But you broke my trust to get that freedom. I trusted you and I don’t trust anyone.”

You could count on one hand the number of people that you genuinely trust, and she was on that list once upon a time.

“Let’s be frank, we never trusted each other.”

“We both know that’s a lie. But if you’re gonna stand here and explain it away, so be it. I have somewhere else to be.” You know full well that she’s just trying to relieve her guilt, but you won’t have any of it. Not anymore “This is goodbye, Mae. If I find anyone coming after me, I’ll kill them.”

With that, you turn your back on not only her but all the time you’ve spent trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. You actually thought you could trust her again.

“I know it’ll mean nothing to you now,” She says, but you keep walking “but you will always have a home in New Orleans. No matter what happens or what you think of me, or my actions - you are always welcome.”

“Whatever.”

 

——-

Back at the house, you didn’t think twice before packing your bags. Kol told you about the deal he made with his family; You both leave town, leaving Klaus in peace from now on. That’s the price to pay for killing him or well, failing to kill him. But if the past hours have taught you anything, is that if you´re presented a way out of a dire situation like this, you shouldn’t hesitate. Maybe leaving town will finally give you the chance to leave all of this behind.

Perhaps everything you´ve done has finally let you here.

“All packed up, huh?” Stefan says from the doorway.

You look up and smile at him before turning back, throwing a t-shirt into your suitcase “Yeah. No idea where we´re going just yet, but I guess we’re just gonna pick a place and go.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“You sure you don’t want to join us? There´s enough space.”

“I would but I, uh, we have some things to figure out here.” He says and you nod, zipping up the suitcase in front of you.

“Come on, let me help you with that.” Stefan offers, and grabs the handle, disappearing out of the room before you can protest.

Downstairs, you´re greeted by Damon´s presence, having just come back from some kind of business in town.

“You’re leaving already?” He asks as you descend the stairs.

“Don’t tell me you’re sad about me leaving?” 

“Maybe.”

“Maybe, huh?” You look back at Stefan behind you, quirking an eyebrow “The old Damon couldn’t wait for me to go. What happened to him?“

“That Damon got his ass kicked and almost his head blown off by his little sister. I got rid of him.”

“About that.. “ 

“It’s fine.” He waves it off. 

"Still, I´m sorry." "But hey, we´re finally parting on good terms, who would’ve thought?”

“Wait for him to screw it up,” Stefan says and cocks his head towards Damon.

Damon grimaces a fake laugh, before reaching out and pulling you into an unexpected hug “You take care, little sis.”

“Oh god, don´t call me that, weirdo.”

“I’ll call you whatever I want, weirdo.” He replies "Where´s your scary boyfriend?" 

Squeaking tires and loud music diverts your attention and you open the door, just in time to see Kol pulling up on the driveway.

“Right there.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Who is he trying to be, John Cusack in Say Anything? Not with a boombox over his head but with obnoxiously cheesy 80’s music?”

“Chessy?! Pft no taste. “Stefan mutters.

“If he’s gonna turn that shit up, “Damon says “I’m gonna punch the radio until my ears stop bleeding.”

“What did you say?!” Kol yells over the music, having just rolled the window down “I’m afraid I can’t hear you?! Must be my old age. “

Damon groans “Just go already. I can’t take it.”

“Fine, I’m going.” You approach the car, opening the passenger side, throwing your suitcase in the back before hopping into the passenger seat.

You lean out of the open window, looking back to your brother’s, as Kol turns the ignition back on “Don’t open the door to strangers, stay out of my room and don’t call me unless you really have to. Actually, no don’t call me at all.” You give them a wink before giving Kol the go, and he floors the car, driving away with squeeking tires.

Stefan and Damon remain behind and wave goodbye from the entrance to the house. Once you’re out the driveway and out hearing distance, their smiles fall and worry spreads over them.

“She´s gonna hate us when she finds out.” Stefan says, chewing on the inner corners of his cheek “You know that, right?”

“Yup.” Damon nods “We’re officially the worst brothers in history.”

“Yeah..You think she’s gonna find out before…you know?”

“It´s Y/N, what do you think?”

“Yup, we´re screwed.”

Damon sighs and claps him on the shoulder “Royally screwed, little bro. Royally screwed..”

 

—-

The road out of Mystic Falls is smooth black river in the dying sun. The sort where you’d follow them wondering if they’d ever cease to wind their way through nature.

You´re propped up on the hood of the car, legs crossed and soaking in the last rays of the sun. You asked Kol to pull over the car to savour this moment of leaving town, instead of just driving past the sign.

It reads "Leaving Mystic Falls” … it’s like music to your ears.

It was always the plan to travel the world together, to show Kol what he has been missing, and today, finally after hardship, murder and pain, the day has come. You wanted to leave this place for weeks now, but something, be it the ugly green hue of the sign or Kol´s unusual silent manner made you question your choice even just the tiniest amount..

“Who would’ve thought we’re actually leaving this town behind for good?” You say, slipping your hand in his that’s resting on his thigh before bathing in the sunset. “ Riding into the sunset even, how perfect is this? “

“I know,” Kol says, staring at your intertwined hand, rubbing his thumb over your skin.

You look over and instead of a beaming smile, you see his head hanging low.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Of course.” He says and lifts your hand, chasting a kiss on the delicate skin “Just…thinking about where to go first.”

“I don’t care where we go. As long as you´re here, I have everything I need.”

“Let’s not waste time then.” He says, and jumps off the car, throwing the keys towards you “Do you want to drive first? You’ve been eying this car ever since we left.”

“You know you’re the only one I’m eyeing here.” You reply, “Okay maybe the car as well.”

Kol laughs and finds himself tracing the cars shiny exterior in an exaggerated attentive manner “She’s almost as beautiful as you.”

“Did you just…compare me to a car?”

“Your beauty knows no bounds, darling. Not even mechanical ones. ”

“Okay that’s enough, get the in the car, Romeo.”

He laughs and you swear you never heard anything more heart-stoppingly beautiful.

You turn the volume up with a flick of the nob attached to the vintage radio and put the gear in drive, before flooring the pedal, leaving the town sign in the dirt.

Kol looks out of the passenger window, watching the trees fly by in motion and he feels an unfamiliar feeling settling in his chest, he could only describe as contentment.

He’s free. Finally.

And so in love.

And his life had 6 months left to run……..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew..on a scale from 1 to 10 how much do you hate me for the last sentence? :D 
> 
> This is the last chapter before we have our season finale or book 1 finale or whatever you like to call it. So prepare yourself for the next chapter, where we finally find out what exactly the price was for the reader’s survival.
> 
> But I am so curious to know what you think! Any theories, criticism or any feedback are incredibly appreciated!!


	25. Chapter 25: "We Are Forever"

 

 

 

Six months, one hundred and eighty-two days quickly dissolved themselves into an endless stream of starry nights, heartful laughter, lingering kisses and a whole bunch of magic.

Kol was a great teacher from the beginning, delving deep into what was once his reality before he was turned into a vampire. You saw it in his eyes when he would rave about the possibilities of magic and the execution of it. He loved it. And you loved that he loved it.

Your new powers were a different story. You didn't have control over them whatsoever. Many accidental aneurysm or fire-related accidents later you were ready to just lock them away again. But Kol insisted to keep the training going, all the while documenting anything and everything with a Polaroid camera he picked up along the way...

“We have to commemorate these moments” Is what he said. So you did. And the enormous photo album resting on the backseat of the car is proof of that.

 

It's nearing twilight now, early in the morning, and the soft rocking of the car makes you almost fall asleep. Kol has been watching as your head dropped, nodding, then jerks up as you awoke, then slowly drops again. Over and over.

You blame it on the early hours and the movement of the car, which could make you fall asleep in a matter of minutes. Even back when you were younger, you always managed to fall asleep in the carriage, dropping your head on into Damon's chest who huffed and puffed but tried his best not to wake you.

But it was much colder then, in the carriage back then, especially in the winter times nearing Christmas. now that´s it´s nearing Christmas.

And boy did the people of Mystic Falls love their Christmas celebrations. Even now, everywhere you look there are string lights on the houses, waving Santa´s in the yard and glittering reindeers that almost gives you a seizure.

“Remind me why exactly we're back here again?” You groan, watching the sign disappear in the side view mirror. “Don't tell me we're spending Christmas with Stefan and Damon and the Mystic Falls Gang. If so, we either need to turn around right now, or we need to get drunk. Preferably both. ”

Kol chuckles “You´ll see.”

“It's not because of her, is it? The last thing I need is Mae´s lying ass.”

“She's not here.” He shakes his head “But- you cannot push everyone away, you know?”

“But I have you. I don't need anybody else, hell, I don't even like anybody else.” You grumble and look back out of the window.

As the care engine sings to the lone roads, you relish the roaring winds that twirl and twist your hair, like strings that hang from a scooters handlebars. On whim, you reach back, searching the backseat for the photo album. You'd rather bask in those memories than to watch this miserable town unfold before your eyes.

The first pages are filled with pictures taken along Route 95 all the way down to Miami. Then followed Cuba, Brazil right down to Greece, Italy and the rest of Europe.

But arguably your favorite memory was one of the first nights in Cuba…

 

_“I brought you a gift. Something to remember me by.” Kol said, his hair and clothes drenched in the summer rain. He settled next to you on the bench seat overlooking the city and hands you an elongated velvet box._

_“Looks fancy. Where did you get it?” You asked, “You stole it, didn't you?”_

_“It's hardly stealing if my charm acquired it, now is it?”_

_“That's not your charm, that's compulsion, you idiot. You're so cheap.”_

_He laughed and you swore your heart is tumbling over itself. You missed seeing him with this thrive for living._

_“Will you open it or just insult me?”_

_“Maybe I insult you a little more and then open it, who knows?” You shrugged your shoulders, and he groaned, shaking his head in disbelief_

_“Fine, I'll spare you the roasting.”_

_Opening the claps in the front, the velvet box snapped open with small resistance._

_Filigree silver vines wrapped themselves into a star, the edges cut in silver with diamonds artfully arranged where the silver meets the vines. The silver necklace attached was so shiny it was blinding. And beautiful._

_“We fell in love under the stars, but you will always be my favorite one,” Kol said, and reached for the necklace, slipping it around your neck and carefully clasped it shut._

_Looking down it was right within your view, shining blindingly on your chest You'd just have to look down to always see it. “I love it, thank you so much.”_

 

It wasn't one of favorite because he brought you some lavish gift, but because it was the first time you realized that this is your life now. No Klaus behind you, no dagger in sight. You were finally free, on your own terms.

You trace your fingers along the edges of the picture he took right after he gave you the necklace and you're smiling yourself at how ridiculously happy you look. And happiness looks good on you.

Kol glances over from the driver seat, a smile replicating on his face and he almost forgets the dumbing, scratching pain that's thumping in his veins.

Then, he remembers why he's actually going back to Mystic Falls. Not to give you a chance to visit your brothers or any other D-tour. He came back to die...

 

_6 months ago - Salvatore Boarding House_

_“Tell me what we have to do to save her.”_

_Kol´s question stood in the room, unanswered and demanding._

_“We could anchor her power to someone, as a conduit of sorts.” Mae explained “That way it ain't gonna overpower her. But, and here is the big but, we need a powerful counteract and none of us is powerful enough” She looks at Stefan and Damon beside her._

_“Then I will,” said Kol._

_“Then here's the catch, you ain't gonna survive it. It would swallow you whole.” She says, and Kol nods almost having expected that outcome. Magic always comes with a price._

_Stefan and Damon shared a look of worry, but remain silent for the time being. It wasn't like they would ever think of choosing Kol over you. But they also know that you would be devastated and likely, go off the deep end when Kol has to pay his debt._

_“How long do I have?” Kol asks._

_“If we slow down the process, about 6 months. Give or take.”_

_“Absolutely not.” Klaus finally spoke, shaking his head “I will not allow you to be harmed.”_

_Kol had heard enough. His brother had never cared about whether he lived or died, so he wasn't allowing him to start now._

_“Weren't you the one that put me in a box whenever you felt like it? Oh right, it was you, wasn't it?” Kol's fake smile faltered and his features became stern “Your care for my well being comes a thousand years too late.”_

_Klaus was wide-eyed with fear, and everyone in the room shared a look at this uncanny feature of the mighty Hybrid. Then, Klaus´ shell closes, and he returned to his stoic demeanour._

_“Then go ahead, ruin yourself for her. See if I care.” With that Klaus marches out of the room, infuriated with everyone remaining._

_Kol looked after him, both saddened and relieved with his departure. But he expected nothing less than disapproval. Perhaps it will be the last time at least. “We better start before he comes back with the entourage,” said Kol._

_“I´ll call one of my witches then.” Mae said and pulled out her phone “Are you positive you want to do this? She's gonna be devastated.”_

_“There is no other choice. This is my fault, and I intend to make it right.” He said with a heavy heart. Then he looks at all remaining people in the room “All I ask of you is to keep this to yourselves. She deserves these months of peace. If this is all I can give, I will.”_

_“Sure, whatever you need,” Stefan says, knowing that nobody in this room would be likely to receive your forgiveness once you found out. But nobody, and of that he's certain, will waver from this decision to risk your good graces if it means saving your life._

_Everything comes with a price._

 

 

You snap your fingers in front of Kol´s face, trying to get him back from wherever he wandered to in his mind. “Hey! Earth to Kol?”

Touching his shoulder brings him back to reality. He doesn't jump, but the tiniest swerve on the road gives him away. He was deep into whatever he thought about.

It's very unlike him.

“You okay?” You ask him and he nods and flashes you a reassuring smile, before concentrating on the road.

“I love this. It's so unnecessary.” You chuckle, waving your hand to turn the photobooks page with your magic powers.

The car swerves again, this time crossing the outer white restriction lines and the tires meet the grass briefly, almost dipping into the ditch, before he regains control.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Nothing. Saw something on the road.” He brushes it off and settles back into his seat, flinching as his back touches the seat. When your concerned look catches his eye, he turns to the sideview mirror, pretending to look at something to evade it.

Is he.. ....Evading gaze, elevated heartbeat - yep, he's lying through his teeth.

“Let's just take a break up there. I need to stretch my legs.” You point to the next driveway and Kol takes a left to a what seems like an unvaccinated house.

Once there, he shifts the stick into parking, and you seize the opportunity to roll up the sleeve of his shirt. His entire shoulder is spotted with ash colored veins travelling in every direction.

“What the hell is this?”

“It's the spell.” He confesses, defeated with guilt.

“What spell?”

“The one to keep you alive.”

 

\----

A conducting binding spell is killing him and it's all your fault. That's all you could take away from his explanation of what saved your life.

With your heart pounding and your fingers shaking, you turn page after page trying to search for anything to stop or reverse the spell. Kol is hellbent on going through with his suicide mission, but you´re not giving up that easily. Not after everything you went through to find each other again.

“Please don't be angry with me.” Kol´s voice is fearful and filled with uncertainty, shaky even.

“I'm not angry, I’m-” You pause, balling your fist on the dusty table “ I´m not accepting this. You´re not dying for me, I´m not gonna let you.”

“And you´re not dying for me, darling. It’s settled. "He counters, and steals the book from your hands, setting it aside ”Now please, there's nothing to find.”

“Why didn't you tell me? I would´ve never used my powers if-”

“There was no other choice. They would have torn you apart.”

“And you think this won't?”

He cracks a smile and shakes his head as if the question was nothing but ridiculous. “You´re resilient, darling. There is nothing you cannot survive.”

“And what if I´m not strong enough for what happens next? To be alone again?”

“I will be there with you even if you won't be able to see me. I´ll always be right here.” He says, brushing his finger along the silver string of your necklace.

...Something to remember me by. He told you back then, but you didn't listen closely enough. Why don't you just listen?

“Now, before it's too late, dance with me He hops to his feet and outstretched his arm, offering you a last dance "Please."

“Why do I always have to say goodbye to you on Christmas? It's supposed to be a happy day.”

He whispers an apology full of regret and shame and pulls you into his direction.

You wrap your arm around his neck as much as you can reach. You don't want to let go because you know that if you did, you won't be able to hold him again. This is it, the deathly goodbye that wasn't supposed to knock on either one of your doors. And where does that door lead to? Will he regret his decision? Will he be...in pain? What if-

“I can feel you overturning every stone in that beautiful head of yours. You don't have to worry about me, if this is how my life is supposed to end then I count myself luckiest of all to die with you next to me.”

“I can't do this without you. There is no way. ”

“You can.” He says, “And that's all I want. You do not need me. You are destined for greatness all on your own.”

“You´re wrong. I do need you. I like myself best when I'm with you.”

“You and I are kindred spirits, no doubt about it, but you are everything you need to be. Smart, strong, fierce and so beautiful it ruins me. Promise me you won't let my death take away who you are.”

You nod and bury your face in his chest, trying to memorize every beat of his heart, every smell and touch. You can´t make any promises you´re sure not being able to keep, but if it brings him peace, you´ll try to fulfil his wish.

The swaying carries on and so does the fire, the day outside coming into its full highest point. Kol is reminiscing of times past, From the first time, he saw you in the streets of New Orleans, to your reunion right to the endless memories mad ever the last 6 months. And you just listen to his voice carrying away.

Then amidst his stories, his slow movements falter and he buckles, almost folding on his knees.

This is it. The time has come.

You help him to the nearby couch and he scrambles, searching for your hand. Terror is written over his face

“I'm right here.”

Watching him is like flowing in a current downstream with nothing to grab on to. You have no choice but to accept your lack of control.

Then, one of Kol´s lesson crossed your mind, and you took his hand, concentrating on the pain running through his every atom.

He pulls his hand away in an effort to spare you discomfort, but you grab it again, holding on tight. He shakes his head again trying to get away a second time.

“It's okay. I´m okay.” You reassure him and he relaxes as an estuary of dark gritty pain connects to your veins.

It's unbearable. Incending. Numbing.

You don't know where his pain ends and yours begins, but it sees to lessen his, so you carry on, clenching your jaw to hide discomfort.

“Be free. My favorite star.” A tear slips from his eye and smiles, struggling along the letter as if they´re double-edged swords. He winces in pain, clenching his teeth, as the decayed grey crawls up his upper body.

You lean forward, kiss his lips for the last time and with another shallow breath and he fades out of life, the remnants of his last smile fading with him.

The finality of his departure settles into your bones and with it, one single word passes your lips.

_Incendia._

\----

You´ve watched many people die, at your own hand or someone else's, and it brings nothing but one undenying truth; death picks apart every single shell you have created, self-made or forced upon. It tears apart your identity, rips apart all you have known and makes you doubt everything you have yet to learn.

And watching Kol die was self-annihilation in every aspect of the word.

Minutes have passed, sitting amongst your created chaos, coming apart at the seams with fire licking around the room like it means to play.

Then, from a distance, you hear voices.

Soon, hands pull at the fabric of your clothing, helping you to your feet. You drag your eyes from Kol´s burning body, to look into Stefan and Damon panic-filled eyes. They want to save you. Surely they know that it's far too late to save you now, yet they pull you away, naive to the anewed darkness of the world - your world.

“Y/N?” Stefan carefully touches your shoulder, nudging you to move “Hey, look at me.”

But his words fall on deaf ears.

This is the point where you´re supposed to break down in tears with every bit of regret boiling to the surface. But you feel numb, you can´t process the sound of his voice or the worried looks from both of them, all you can see are the flames and the smell of burning flesh reaching out of the house.

_Kol's burning and you're drowning..._

_...and drowning_

_...and drowning._

“I'm sorry.” Stefan says, his hand still placed on your shoulder “I tried to reason with him, but he insisted.“ Stefan stiffens once he let the words slip out of his mouth, realizing his slip up much too late.

You turn to him slowly, finally dragging your eyes away from the fire. Stefan backs away and raises his hands in the air “I can explain.”

“How could you?!” You shove him away from you with much less force he deserves. You punch against his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs, but he doesn't back away or resists. He lets it happen.

But Damon has had enough. “Knock it off!” He stands in between you and Stefan “There was no other way! You would've died!”

“Then I would be dead right now!" You scream, against the uproaring wind "Instead…..How am I supposed to live like this, knowing that he died because of _me,_ because _I_ couldn't leave the past in the past!”

“This is not your fault. You have to know that.” Stefan says, stepping out of Damon's shielding.

But Damon steps in front of him again. “I would choose you over one of them any day. If that makes me the bad guy, so be it. I don't need you to be okay with this.”

You could believe your ears. One of them….how insulting. Kol is….was nothing like his siblings.

“What about what I needed? After everything I did to make up for my mistakes you thank me with this?”

“What did you want us to do? We´are family, we couldn't just-”

“Family.." You scoff " you're throwing that word around like it's supposed to mean something to me. I have no idea what having a family feels like. Scolded by Mom, punished by Dad and shoved aside by you two - I was left out of everything, and I should've known better than to expect it's ever gonna change"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm telling you to fuck off and leave me alone. I have to scrape by boyfriends ashes from the floor."

“You want to be alone? Fine.” Damon says “But this is your fault, not ours. Blame yourself. "

Damon looks at you with disapproval, perhaps even disgust, then takes a few steps back, taking in the burning mess you created before he turns and walks away.

Stefan calls after him, desperate trying his best to be the Mediator as he's always been, but it's no use.

"No, let him go. He's right. I ruin everything I touch. Just go or you might be next."

"Y/N.."

"Go. Or I will make you. "

 

\----

The mansion exterior was duller and less impressive as you remembered it. The paint seems faded, the trimmed hedges uncared for - it looks like the house is in mourning. Perhaps it is.

Knocking on the front door, you up to the balcony on the western side of the house. The railing where you sat with Kol and head a heart to heart with Stefan is barely visible from your vantage point. It feels so distant in the past and yet too close for comfort.

If you could only turn back time, perhaps you wouldn´t stand here alone.

The front door unlocks with a squeak and Elijah steps into view, his face in a veil of grief. He must´be known. Everyone did but you.

“Please do come in. “ He says and steps aside.

Much like the exterior, the interior felt nothing compared to what you remember it as. Or perhaps you just lost all senses of beauty.

Elijah careful watches your steps, not waiting for an attack, rather to assert the situation.

“I´ll make it short. “ You say, noticing his discomfort. “I need you to hold onto Kol´s ashes. I can´t- I think you should have them. Promise me you´ll guard them with your life.”

“You have my word.” He assures you and carefully takes the urn out of your hand and places it on the table in the middle of the room, next to a fresh cut of flowers.

You can't help but wonder if somewhere down the line only a ceramic urn filled with ashes is all that´ll be left of you.

“Please, do not blame yourself.” Elijah says “Kol deserve much better than what we offered, but you were never at fault for the circumstances that led to this.”

“I know.”

There was no point arguing, you know your truth, and however delusional Elijah is, he has his truth as well. But no consulting words will reflect that fact that you´re a fault. You and nobody but you.

“I, uh, I better go” You continue “I'm sorry for everything I put you through with...you know. I don't know why I let it escalate like this.”

He shakes his head and waves the problematic past away like its nothing but a bee on a hot summer day.

“Vengeance persuades even the strongest minds.” He says “It's a disease even we have to abstain from. With mild successes, of course.”

With a last look of all that remains of Kol, you bid farewell to Elijah and slip out of the door. You make it about halfway to the parked car before an intense and calculating stare digs holes into your backside.

Klaus.

“If you want to kill me for breaking the truce, just get it over with.” You say to him, leaning back on the car door.

“I didn't come to harm you.” He says, his voice calm and collected.

“Then why did you? To laugh at how much I lost?”

He swallows “Do you think that low of me?”

I do. Is what you want to say, but by the look on your face, Klaus knew the answer to his question before you could even open your mouth. So you said nothing.

“I came here to give you this. Kol left it before you embarked on your journey.” He continues and hands you a sealed letter.

Your heart sinks as the paper touches your fingers and you have to refrain yourself from crying on the spot.

“If it is any consolation, I am… I regret it had to come to this. In truth, Kol was centuries ahead of me and my pursuits. He was never tied to our promise and I envied and punished him for it.” He pauses, and finally drags his eyes from the floor “And I punished you for achieving what all my efforts could have never brought; unconditional love.”

You´ve heard several claims out of Klaus' mouth, threats of painfully detailed ways of death and torment, but none ever seems so sincere than what he just said. It makes you wonder if perhaps under this facade lies nothing but the same insecure, angry creature you have been shaped into, desperately searching for some sort of closure.

And it made you sick knowing that you sacrificed everything pursuing his downfall. How delusional you were. How destructively selfish.

“You know I can't figure you out.” You say, “I don't know if this is the real you or the big ego version.”

“Well, that will remain a mystery, I´m afraid.” He smiles, and you roll your eyes at his beaming regained confidence.

Klaus opens his mouth, to say something, but he changes the topic “You have proven yourself to be quite the nuisance. And a skilled opponent. Until we meet again.”

“Don't count on it.” You reply before hopping into the car, shifting the stick into drive and flooring the car, leaving Klaus in the dust.

One last stop until you´ll leave this town behind, this time for good. Nothing good comes out of Mystic Falls.

 

\----

 

Holes and ripped pavement litter the once smooth black roads leading out of Mystic Fall. Six months ago, with the same green hue of the city sign in sight, you couldn't wait to leave. Back then you had a purpose and somewhere to go. But now….where do you go when the only home you´ve ever known is gone? When home was always tied to a person rather than a place? What do you do?

Six months so quickly dissolved themselves into an endless stream of starry nights, heartful laughter and lingering kisses. But now those experiences are layered with the veil of grief and regret and you feel ashamed and angry because of it. Your memories, nor Kol deserved to be frowned upon. Perhaps in the years to come, you would finally be able to smile rather than being drowned by them.

You reach over to the passenger seat, enclosing your trembling fingers around the paper edges of Kol´s letter. You twist it in your hand a few times, contemplating if you could handle reading it, or if it's better to store it away until you're more collected.

_Get a grip, just open it._

_It's just a letter..._

_It's just a letter..._

_It’s not ~~just a letter.~~_

With shaking but determined hands, and eyes ready to burst with tears, you read Kol´s handwritten words:

 

_My darling,_

_Words could never describe how sorry I am to leave you. In all of my time alive and awake, I have never felt happier than when I was with you next to me. Leaving you will be the hardest challenge I will ever have to face._

_But with the time we spend in mind, I will gladly sacrifice my life for you to flourish. So, please don´t mourn me, I'd give my life for you several times over if I had to._

_You have been my steady rock, my lighthouse in the dark, my best friend, the keeper of my heart and the love of my life - and you will forever remain so._

_You have not only quelled my rage but you understood me like no one had before. You understood me better than I did myself. You did not wish to change me like everyone had the intention to. You accepted me for who and what I was, and for that, I could never repay you or love you enough, when you have already loved me more than I deserved to be._

_And you deserve nothing but the greatest life you've dreamed of. Live the life you´ve always wanted, live it for the both of us and don't even think about hiding that beautiful smile of yours in sorrow. I will know._

_But fear not, this is not the end of us my favorite star, you and I, we are forever._

_Eternally yours,_

_Kol._

 

 

Slow desolate tears run from your unblinking eyes, dripping steadily on the sheet of paper. The tears weren´t even half running dry, and you felt empty.

You havenßt experienced this feeling before. The pain was still there, but not raw as it has been all those centuries - now it´s a steady companion, a part of you can´t so easily bury.

But you will try to run from it, that´s a given.

 

As the city limits disappear in the rearview mirror, you think about how many seemingly good things must rest on the shoulders of something terrible. All you've longed for was nothing but freedom and instead, anger took over what sense of reality you had left, and the only person you cannot be without paid the price.

What else is there to hope for, to thrive for when your actions have brought nothing but doom?

However good one´s intentions, in the end, everything ends either in blood or ashes, bound in shallows and in miseries, lost in darkness and distance.

But there is one silver lining… this is not the end. It cannot be. The shadows are calling, and who better to answer than someone who is homeless to the world with nothing left to lose.

Perhaps this is a new beginning, one with sorrow and grief but with open possibilities. A new awakening, your own un-daggering….your own Open Coffin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap!!! For now at least. But there will definitely be a sequel to this in the future.
> 
> I might be inclined to write little timestamps from Kol and the reader's adventures. I couldn't put all of them in this chapter or it would´ve been totally unbalanced with anything else.
> 
> For now, though, I want to thank you for sticking with this story. I know it has been such a long time since I've started it and it evolved into something completely different from what I've planned and though it comes with many flaws, it's something I'm proud to have written.
> 
> And I want to thank each and every one of you who decided to read, comment and leave feedback. Without you, this would be a very lonely experience.
> 
> I have ideas for the second book, season - or whatever you like to call it. One is more going into thriller type of thing set within the TO universe. The other one would be a little more true to what we´ve seen in the show, and the other one is a more on the fantasy side.
> 
> I haven't decided fully on anything yet, so if you have any input at all, I would appreciate it if you would share it with me.


End file.
